Union
by bluewolf963
Summary: After a researchers dreams come true, everything comes crashing down before him as a deranged scientist attempts to turn his work in to a weapon. Together with his daughter and companion, he begins his heartfelt battle of revenge and redemption.
1. Tragedy and a New Beginning

_Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Pokemon franchise, from the games to the anime_

**Chapter 1 – Tragedy and A New Beginning**

A man stares out of his one visible eye in the darkness. His arms and legs have been crushed, leaving him unable to move. Blood trickles down the left side of his face, out of the places his left ear and eye were. The pain from his injuries have changed to numbness. He knew he was in trouble, knew that his death appeared imminent. Knew that even if he did survive, he would be forever crippled. However, these thoughts were not his top concern, as he placed his eye on the creature before him.

"_How could this have happened?"_ thought the man to himself, as he looked down. As he stared at the being before him, he began to see flashbacks of the moments that led up to his current situation.

In his mind, the man began to remember where it all began, with an idea that had occurred to him one day. The man was a medical researcher, studying methods of repairing parts of the anatomy that were previously considered impossible. He stood at roughly five foot ten, had long, straight black hair and black eyes. His skin was well tanned, though hidden behind his gray, long sleeved dress shirt. He typically wore dark slacks with matching black shoes. As a researcher, his specific studies concerned stem cells, and their various uses. He knew they could be used in treatment of degenerative diseases. He was looking to take it one step further, using them to regenerate larger parts of the human anatomy. It was his hope that for the first time, those who lost arms, legs, even eyes and ears, would have a chance at regaining those lost limbs. He ran into a brick wall, the controversy surrounding such an extreme use. As people kept protesting how such research could lead to human cloning, his research was stalled by his superiors. Knowing that it would be unwise to upset those who provided the funding to his research, he ultimately decided to end his research.

As he was archiving the last of his research, in the hopes it would one day be continued, he suddenly realized a possible alternative. The man quickly pulled up all of his research and changed from looking into stem cells to looking into the tissues of a specific creature, a ditto. The man began combining his research with available information on the ditto species. As he looked into the possibility of using a ditto's cells in place of stem cells, he found a way to make his research work. He presented his idea to those funding his research immediately.

At first, his ideas were met with skepticism. The idea of using pokemon parts in a human seemed like an abomination; however, the man explained how many hurdles would be overcome in their use. Ditto were pokemon, rather than humans. That removed the need to harvest the cells from human embryo, an already sensitive point to his research. Further, he explained that at best, cloning tissues of a ditto could only make another ditto, rather than another human being, removing the cause of his research being shut down. His benefactor opted to renew the research until issues arose again from protests or other sources. The man was excited as he began his new research.

After his preliminary research, the man gathered a team of Pokemon researches who specialized in ditto. Upon hearing his ideas, the pair of scientists he recruited were only surprised they had not considered the idea themselves. They immediately gathered a ditto, and began to take samples. After several months of research and study on methods of adjusting a ditto's DNA to take a permanent form, they successfully created a human arm. Upon testing the new limb, it was found to be fully functional, able to work immediately if it were to be transplanted. As it was made from the scientists DNA, there was no need to use it for such a purpose. The group of researchers knew they were still a year or so away from human testing as it was.

"Congratulations, Dr. Urufu. I must say I am impressed with your work. You've done well for a researcher who only recently received his doctorate," spoke the benefactor of the scientist's research. This man was slightly shorter than Seigai, standing at five foot eight. He had short, gray hair with a few blond hairs remaining. He wore a brown pin-stripe suit with a hunter green undershirt and black tie along with black dress shoes. He looked towards Seigai with his steel gray eyes.

"Thank you, sir," replied Dr. Urufu, the head scientist of the project, and the one who started the research six months ago, following his graduation from medial school.

"I could not have done this without the assistance of Dr. Son'u and Dr. Kogi," replied Dr. Urufu.

"Indeed, indeed. I am amazed at your progress. I knew already I was taking a chance on a recent graduate. I only decided to fund you because of you're being at the top of your class. I'm glad to say you've produced results I could have never imagined, and all just within a year. Remarkable, to say the least," replied the benefactor.

"Thank you, Mr. Toyo," replied Dr. Urufu.

"Please, you know I don't like it when you're so formal. Koshio will do nicely," spoke the benefactor.

"I couldn't help it when you called me Dr. Urufu, Koshio," replied Dr. Urufu.

"My apologies, Seigai. I tend to mix up business and casual talk. So many things are going on with my company, it's hard t keep my head straight sometimes.

"Indeed. We should be ready for the next phase of our research very soon. All we need is a proper subject," spoke Seigai.

"A proper subject, eh? What is your next step, may I ask?" asked Koshio.

"I need a pokemon who has lost a major limb, such as an arm or leg, to see just how well this process will work. If we can succeed with three subjects of different species, then we'll consider beginning work on human subjects," replied Seigai.

"I see. I'm sure you would only need to look into a pokemon center. The one here in Okadamashi is always active," spoke Koshio.

"This much is true. I'll begin contacting after our preparations are complete, " replied Seigai.

"Very good. I look forward to your progress. Good luck, Seigai," replied Koshio. The well dressed business man entered the elevator in front of him. Seigai had caught him heading for a meeting with several stock holders in his company. Seigai opted to make his return to the research lab he was sharing with Dr. Masayoshi Son'u and Dr. Teruko Kogi. Upon his return to the room, he observed his fellow scientists were work on running calculations in their computer.

Masayoshi was a relatively short person, standing at an even five feet. He had short, brown hair, framing a bald patch as wide as a typical computer mouse is long and green eyes. He was wearing a white lab coat, as were Seigai and Teruko within the lab, over a yellow shirt and brown slacks with matching brown shoes.

Teruko was the lone woman of the group, standing at five foot three. She had long, red hair with blue eyes set behind a thin framed pair of glasses. Under her lab coat was a pastel red shirt with dark brown slacks and black dress shoes. Most would characterize her appearance as the "intellectual" type. Not a beauty queen, but not too hard on the eyes, either. Seigai turned to face Masayoshi, noting the older man was about to speak to him.

"Ah, Seigai, " spoke Masayoshi, "How did things go with the boss?"

"I just caught him between his meetings. He's amazed at our success so far. I think it's safe to say we'll have all the funding we need for the time being. How are those calculations coming along?" asked Seigai.

"So far, so good," replied Masayoshi.

"I think we might be pushing it," Teruko, as she looked intently on her screen for any mistakes in her calculations.

"Oh, come now, not this again. You said the same thing about that arm. As you can see, my dear, it worked just fine," spoke Masayoshi, as he looked over his screen.

"That was just an arm. A human arm. We know plenty about humans. Pokemon are a little different," replied Teruko.

"A little?" asked Seigai.

"Well, maybe to someone who has dealt explicitly with human medicine, they may seem to be vastly different. Really, though, they share so many similarities with us, it's borderline frightening. I'm sure you must have heard of the instances of successful mating between humans and pokemon," spoke Teruko.

"Indeed. That was quite remarkable, too bad all the media and politicians cared about were the ethics and morals surrounding it," spoke Masayoshi.

"I found it quite intriguing. It's a shame that trainer was arrested. I've never had a pokemon myself, but I don't doubt the possibility of one becoming more than a little attached," replied Seigai.

"Attached is a way of putting it," muttered Masayoshi.

"Don't approve, do you?" asked Seigai.

"It just doesn't seem right. They're animals, are they not? I can't approve of the idea of a human mating with an animal," replied Masayoshi.

"Humans are animals, too, last time I checked. If the bond is there, I don't see what the problem is, especially if it's between two individuals who can produce viable offspring," quipped Teruko.

"So if they can produce offspring, then it's okay, eh?" asked Masayoshi.

"It's not just that. There has to be love, too. It would be cruel for a trainer to force their pokemon in to having relations with them," replied Teruko.

"No one would ever condone rape. At least no one of a sane mind. From what I know, I hear many psychics can bond with humans and communicate properly through telepathy. I suppose if they can communicate properly and be able to form a proper relationship, then I don't see what's wrong with it," spoke Seigai, as he took a seat at his terminal.

"And what about non-psychics? There aren't that many psychic species, and even then, their bodies are hardly suitable for mating with a human. Could you imagine a person attempting to mate with an espeon?" asked Masayoshi.

"I didn't say I would approve of anything like that. There has to be physical compatibility, too," replied Seigai.

"As for non-psychics, there are some others who can use telepathy. As for the other species, there are more ways to communicate other than words," explained Teruko.

"Well, why don't you two go out and capture yourselves a couple mates? Well, maybe not you, Seigai. You still have several years ahead of your yet. As for Teruko... well, times not ticking any slower," spoke Masayoshi.

"Better watch it, mister. I can't count how many times I told you it's more important that I work on our research before anything else," replied Teruko, as she gently pushed her glasses back on her face.

"Now, now, children, no need to start up that argument again," spoke Seigai.

"Quite correct," replied Teruko.

"Bah, fine. You two are still sick, though. Approving of mating with pokemon," spoke Masayoshi.

"I didn't say I approve," spoke Seigai.

"I did. Which side of the fence are you on?" asked Teruko.

"Hm... I can't say for sure, really. I suppose if I were to end up in a situation where I could fall in love with a pokemon, then maybe. I wouldn't go hunting through the woods to capture a date, though," answered Seigai.

"In other words, you approve?" asked Teruko.

"I suppose. To each their own, really. I'm not the type to deny anyone their set lifestyle," spoke Seigai.

"It's still a disturbing thought," replied Masayoshi.

"I suppose the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pokemon's 'sentience' initiative is racking your nerves, then?" asked Teruko.

"This 'sentience' initiative is a bunch of bull. How do you go about proving that, huh? Sure, it works for psychics, but how about other species? It's not like they can speak up and say, 'Yeah, I love him, he's not raping me.' What kind of stunt does the NSPCP think they're trying to pull?" asked Masayoshi.

"Just allowing the chance, that's all. Regardless of whether I really approve or not, I wouldn't want to break that trainer away from his coming family. Not to mention the strain his alakazam must be in, being forcefully separated from the father of her coming child," replied Seigai.

"That's right, no family should be forcefully separated like that," spoke Teruko.

"That kid's gonna be an abomination. Better to kill both mother and child, and spare them now from being poked and prodded by researchers, trying to figure out how it was possible for the child to be born. God only knows what kind of creature will be born," rambled Masayoshi.

"I heard they did a sonogram to see what kind of child the alakazam was going to have. They found she was pregnant with an abra. It may have his eye color, or something like that, but as far as they can tell, the rules between pokemon-pokemon breeding and pokemon-human breeding are the same; the child is always the species of the mother," explained Teruko.

"Makes sense to me. The mother would have problems if she tried to carry a baby of a different species," replied Seigai.

"Most of the genetic information of species is located in the egg cells, just for that reason. By extension, if a pokemon were to take a human female pregnant, the child would be human," explained Teruko.

"Oh, so you could very well get knocked-up by a machamp, then, eh? I would pay money to see that," spoke Masayoshi.

"No thanks, machamp aren't my kind of fetish," spoke Teruko.

"I could imagine the mating process would be rather... abusive," spoke Seigai.

"I'm sure someone out there is thinking of it," spoke Masayoshi.

"Good luck to them," replied Seigai, as he took a look at his screen. The results of his and his partner's calculations coming up.

"Ah, I see what you were worried about, Teruko. That one gene re-sequencing subroutine is just barely within accepted parameters. Much too close to the cancer line for my comfort," spoke Seigai.

"We had the same thing before, with the arm, remember?" asked Masayoshi.

"I do remember, and we were able to cut the risk into a more acceptable range. This will take a little longer to resolve, but it's well doable," replied Seigai.

"How? This is set to be worked for any species, as opposed to just one. Wouldn't it be easier to set up a subroutine for each species we work with?" asked Teruko.

"We could, but that would make it more difficult to directly compare the results of different subjects. It would be much better if we were able to have this to be adapted for any species. Besides, I would like to hope our research could benefit all forms of life," replied Seigai.

"I suppose we can do that, then. What did you have in mind?" asked Teruko.

"Well, I'm not quite sure, but Masayoshi seems to have an idea. His calculations are more acceptable, though still a little too close," replied Seigai.

"Indeed. That was just my playing around with the numbers a little. Just happened to work out. I have an idea of what I did. I can have a solution ready in a few hours. You should still consider beginning to find suitable pokemon for the first part of our experiment," spoke Masayoshi.

"One step at a time. I want this set before we do anything. I didn't plan on going to the Pokemon Center today, anyway. By the time I get out there, it will be well into the evening. It's not so urgent that it can't wait for a day. It's better if we don't rush," explained Seigai.

"I agree with him on this, we need to get these calculations straight," replied Teruko.

"We? More like me. Anyway, if that's how it's going to be, then you two may as well head home for the day. I'll let you know what kind of progress I've made in adjusting these subroutines when you arrive tomorrow," spoke Masayoshi.

"Fine by me, then until tomorrow," spoke Seigai, as he stood up from his terminal.

"Have a good evening, gentlemen," replied Teruko, as she stood up, placed her lab coat in the small closet by the door, and made her exit. Seigai was quick to follow.

"Heh, I'm sure they'll start talking about Pokemon they can date now that I'm not there," muttered Masayoshi to himself.

Upon leaving, Seigai took the blue-framed bicycle he used, and made his was out of Okadamashi. The city of Okadamashi was the capital of the Ishiba region, and was by far the region's largest city. Skyscrapers shot up above, while streets and pavement led the paths in front of him. The office building his lab was in was near the edge of the business district in the center of the large city. The Pokemon Center was located near the city's gym, near the southern border of the city. They felt it best to keep the two together, since the battles in the gym were often rather violent. Many rookie trainers made the mistake of challenging Baku "Blast" Hida, the leader of Okadamashi's gym. As a master of fire-type Pokemon, the Pokemon Center often has multiple burn victims. Given the ruthless way Blast carries out his fights, it wouldn't be hard to find a Pokemon in need of a new arm or leg.

Seigai's destination lay in the west, in the small village of Hayashi. Hayashi was located on the edge of a dense forest, hence the name. There were, at most, a few hundred residents in the village. Seigai took up residence there after completing his studies in the Okadamashi School of Medicine. After receiving his position as a researcher working under Koshio Toyo, Seigai found it all the more convenient to continue to live near the city. Seigai could have easily found an apartment in the city, but he found the city to be too noisy and dirty. He found the fresh air of the woods to be much more refreshing. The small village was only a short distance from the capital, falling well under the city's jurisdiction. Even though it took Seigai forty-five minutes to get to his home from the city on his bicycle, he preferred it for traveling as opposed to getting himself a car or taking a bus out of the city.

As soon as Seigai entered Hayashi, he waved to some of the people saw, and made straight for his small home. He was quite tired from his work that day, and quite glad to be home. The small, two bedroom house belonged solely to him. Originally, he had rented it with a fellow student, but after his roommate had graduated, he left. Seigai was easily able to purchase the house after a few months of working with Koshio. He considered renting out the other room, but opted to keep it empty, never knowing when there may come a time when he'll finally have someone to share his home with. Seigai parked his bicycle in front of his home, tying it up after dismounting, and entered the threshold of his home.

"Ah, so nice to be home," spoke Seigai, as he opened the wooden door. The wooden exterior matched the hardwood interior flooring and wall paneling. Seigai felt it matched in well with the forest he had a clear view of out his bedroom window. Seigai prepared himself a quick meal of canned vegetables and pasta, then made his way to bed, preparing himself for what lie ahead for the next day.

Seigai awoke abruptly that morning. He found he had managed to sleep in by an hour. He barely had enough time to grab a quick sandwich as he made his way out the door. He didn't even have the chance to turn on the television to see what the weather of the day was going to be. As he made his way for Okadamashi, he had no idea of what had taken place in the silence of the night.

Seigai's trip was calm and peaceful. Even within the city itself, it hardly seemed as though anything was amiss. Seigai did notice there was an increase in police presence, but figured it was due to the end of the month approaching, and that the officers were concerned with meeting their quota. Seigai stopped in surprise when he saw what lay before him at the building his lab was in. He could see from afar the several police cars gathered in the front of the building. He could see Teruko and Masayoshi in front of a police line, speaking with one of the officers. Teruko appeared to be in tears, while Masayoshi seemed visibly troubled. Seigai rushed to the pair of scientists to try and figure out what was going on.

"Seigai!" shouted Teruko.

"What is it?" asked Seigai.

"It's terrible..." spoke Teruko.

"What is?" asked Seigai.

"Last night... a few hours after we left... someone... someone..." stuttered Teruko.

"Look, there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out and say it outright. Last night, Mr. Koshio Toyo was murdered in his office," spoke Masayoshi.

"What! You're kidding, right? With all the security this place has, how could something like this ever happen?" asked Seigai.

"We don't know. All we know is that they suspect a rogue trainer was involved. His body was badly burned, the pattern of several crosses were etched into his floors," spoke Masayoshi.

"How does that show a pokemon was responsible?" asked Seigai.

"It matches the pattern made by the fire blast technique. The pattern is a perfect match, and the intensity required of flame to scare the flooring of his office could only mean a trainer was involved.

"You don't think Blast or a member of his gym was involved, do you?" asked Seigai.

"It's possible that it's someone from the gym, but it can't be Blast," replied Masayoshi.

"What makes you so sure?" asked Seigai.

"I thought the same thing," spoke Teruko, as she was able to speak a little more clearly, "Blast was tending to a trainer he fought at the Pokemon Center."

"That merciless man was with a trainer at a Pokemon Center!" asked Seigai.

"The trainer's pokemon was accidentally killed during the fight, from what I heard. Blast went there to offer an apology. Seeing as he's never accidentally killed a pokemon before, he felt it was his duty as a trainer to pay respect to his fellow trainer," explained Teruko.

"I guess that makes sense. It's one thing to injure a pokemon, but death is not something that happens all the time. I rarely hear about pokemon being killed in pokemon battles.

"I believe this is the first of such in incident here," spoke Masayoshi.

"Are you sure? I could have sworn there was another incident here just before I started school here," replied Seigai.

"I've heard that rumor, Seigai, and that's all it was. Just some random trainer who was venting, following his defeat at the hands of Blast. Figured he'd try to ruin Blast's image," spoke Teruko.

"You can't tarnish a rusty blade," muttered Masayoshi.

"I see... but, my gosh... what are we going to do now?" asked Seigai.

"The police told us it would be best to go home. Our lab will be shut down for a couple of weeks while they carry out their investigation. We can continue to work on our calculations outside of the lab, so I guess we'll just have to make do until this thing resolves itself," spoke Teruko.

"That may be meaningless. If there's no one willing to fund our research, then there's no point in continuing with anything," spoke Masayoshi.

"If you're going to be like that, then we may as well quit now. Honestly, I don't think we'll have to worry about that. Someone is bound to fund our research. From a business standpoint, anyone willing to back us could have quite the payoff waiting for them in the future," explained Seigai.

"Well, it will take me a little longer to resolve those calculations. They ended up drifting further towards the cancer zone after you left. They entered it with the last set of calculations. I can't understand how that happened. Perhaps we can all work on it together?" asked Masayoshi.

"Perhaps. We can use my house for the time being. My computer is the fastest at these calculations, and I have the most living space," replied Seigai.

"Very well, let's go. There's no need to remain here any longer," spoke Teruko.

"Indeed," spoke Seigai, as the group made their way for the nearest bus stop, Seigai knowing his friends preferred motor vehicle travel over other modes of transportation.

"He was a great man," spoke Masayoshi.

"A great scholar. I found it was great to work for him," replied Teruko.

"For someone his age, he was always so vibrant and upbeat, always willing to help out," spoke Seigai.

"We're all going to miss him," replied Teruko.

"Indeed," spoke Masayoshi.

"Aye," replied Seigai.

The group waited in silence for the first bus to Hayashi. Within an hour and a half, the small trio arrived at Seigai's home. He took them into his small office on the first floor of his home, and set up the calculations Masayoshi was working on. This ritual of going back and forth to Seigai's home to work on calculations continued for the next couple of weeks. On the last day, they realized they had all overlooked a small mistake Masayoshi had made in his calculations. He had forgotten a negative number sign, earning groans from each of his compatriots. After they ran the numbers, they found Masayoshi's repeated attempts had put their error well within their desired safety limits.

"I suppose I should avoid working too late at night, if I'm going to be prone to making such foolish errors," spoke Masayoshi.

"It's okay, it happens to the best of us," spoke Seigai.

"Even I've made that error before, though, I usually catch it pretty quick," replied Teruko.

"I thought the princess never made mistakes," spoke Masayoshi.

"No one's perfect, guys. Now we just need to wait and see what will happen with our lab. The investigation should be over soon. They can't just let that building sit around idle for too long. Someone has to at least foot the bill of running the place," spoke Seigai.

At that moment, the phone rang, prompting Seigai.

"Hello?" asked Seigai.

"Is this Dr. Seigai Urufu?" asked the person at the other end of the line.

"It is. To whom am I speaking?" asked Seigai.

"Dr. Kenji Den. You may call me Kenji, if you don't mind my addressing you as Seigai," replied the man.

"I don't have a problem at all, Kenji," spoke Seigai.

"Very good. Do you know where Dr. Teruko Kogi and Dr. Masayoshi Son'u are?" asked Kenji.

"We are all here together. Do you have business with the three of us?" asked Seigai.

"Indeed I do. I am the owner of The Union Corporation. I wanted to let you know we have taken over all business assets of Koshio Toyo, and intend to continue funding your research. As a fellow researcher, I am also interested in doing all I can to personally assist you in your continued work," replied Kenji.

"Thank you, sir!" shouted Seigai, while overflowing with excitement at the news. This meant that he would be able to continue his work.

"I found your work to be most impressive. I'm surprised you've already made a fully functional body part. I would have expected such a feat to take years," spoke Kenji.

"It has been years. I had been working on this research since I attended university. The preliminary work was the basis for my thesis for my doctorate," explained Seigai.

"Ah, I see, I see. That would explain why your work has seemed to have advanced so quickly. Very good, I shall look forward to working with you. The investigation in the office building was completed today. Unfortunately, they were unable to turn up any additional clues. They almost pointed their fingers at Dr. Son'u. It is fortunate he took the subway home that day. The security footage showing him there at the time of the incident demonstrated his innocence," spoke Kenji.

"Ah, that would have made things difficult, that's for sure. I take it this means we'll be able to resume work tomorrow?" asked Seigai.

"Actually, I would like to gather you all today, if that is possible. It is still early in the afternoon. I'm sure the group of you would have no problem with putting in a few hours of work today," replied Kenji.

"Oh, no, there's no problem at all. We could use this time to upload our current data to the lab computers," spoke Seigai.

"Excellent. While the data is transferring, I can show you the new security measures I've put in place. It's best to be safe, rather than sorry, right? I would not like to end up like Mr. Toyo. About how long will it take for the three of you to arrive?" asked Kenji.

"About an hour or so, depending on traffic. Shouldn't be too bad at this time of day," replied Seigai.

"Then I look forward to meeting with all of you. Good day, Dr. Urufu," spoke Kenji, as he hung up the phone on his end. Seigai hung up his phone, and turned to face Teruko and Masayoshi.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" asked Teruko.

"We're back in business!" shouted Seigai.

"I'm glad to hear this. I was worried we were doing all of this for nothing," spoke Masayoshi.

"I told you there would be nothing to worry about. Something like this wouldn't be left to sit and gather dust," replied Teruko.

Seigai told the other two scientists the details of his conversation with Dr. Kenji Den. They were more than happy to be able to get to work right away, and head out with Seigai. The two were a little skeptical of having another researcher join them at this point in their project, but they decided to welcome the scientist who was interested in continuing to fund their research. Upon their arrival to the office building their lab was in, they noticed the building appeared to be slightly different than it was before. There were a pair of armed guards there, dressed in full body armor. The previous guards only had simple hand guns. The scientists decided it must have been part of the new security measures. As they approached, the guards stopped them.

"Do you have the proper identification?" asked one of the guards.

"We do," replied Seigai, as he and the others pulled out their identification cards. The guards scanned each of the cards in the card readers on their terminals, and looked at the results.

"Welcome back, Dr. Urufu, Dr. Kogi, and Dr. Son'u. Dr. Den has been awaiting your arrival. Please follow Mr. Harai," spoke the guard.

As the guard finished speaking, a third guard appeared. The man had pitch black, short and spiked hair, matching black eyes, and deathly pale skin. The panels of his body armor were lined with crimson. The man also had several pokeballs on his belt, matched with the weapons he had. Unlike the other guards, he also had armor on his legs, ending with a pair of thick boots. The look of the man, along with his impressive stature of six foot six, sent a shiver down the spine of the three scientists. Something about his appearance didn't seem right to them.

"Greetings, I am Shin Harai, in charge of security here. I shall escort the three of you to your new lab," replied Shin.

"New lab?" asked Masayoshi.

"Yes, your lab and equipment have been moved to a more secure location. Dr. Den believes the protection of your research is of the utmost priority. He also believes there is a strong possibility Mr. Toyo was murdered due to information leaking about the research you were conducting here," explained Shin.

"It's not surprising to hear this. I doubt all the protestors have been calmed by my switching to the use of pokemon. I suppose someone was more upset than everyone else," spoke Seigai.

"So it would seem. Dr. Den believes there is no such thing as being too safe. Now, if you would please follow me," replied Shin.

The three scientists followed. Shin led them to the familiar elevator. However, there was a card reader next to the up and down buttons.

"This is different," spoke Seigai.

"Part of the new security set up. You need not worry. Each of you, please slide your cards here," spoke Shin.

The three scientists did as instructed. Upon reading the cards, the down button lit up green.

"Why is this green?" asked Masayoshi.

"Anyone entering this building will only have access to the levels they are cleared for. As your labs are on the lowest level of the basement, you only have access to the lower levels. All suitable facilities are available to you, including a small lounge with space for you to eat," explained Shin.

"I don't remember the basement being like this before," spoke Teruko.

"Dr. Den has done much work in the basement while the investigation was being carried out on the upper levels. He wished to get everything in order as soon as possible, so he would be able to resume business operations immediately upon the conclusion of the investigation," explained Shin.

"I see. He must have some serious money in order to carry out such renovations on such a short time scale," spoke Seigai.

"You need not worry about Union's finances. We may not be a well known company, but we have more resources available to us than the Toyo Corporation," replied Shin.

"I won't complain. I'd like to see what all this looks like, myself," spoke Masayoshi, as he set foot in the elevator.

"As would I," spoke Seigai, as he entered the elevator.

"Might as well," spoke Teruko, following the other two. Shin followed last, then pointed to the panel on the inside.

"As you can see, only the button for the tenth level is green. This is the new level for your lab," spoke Shin.

"Basement level ten? Wasn't that only for the mechanical rooms and maintenance personnel?" asked Seigai.

"Much has been changed. Do not worry, this is not a trick," spoke Shin.

The three scientists continued to regard Shin with skepticism. They didn't see any sign of change on the entry level, other than the new guards and change in the elevator panel. It was hard to believe that much had been changed. As the elevator arrived at its destination and opened, all doubt was removed on the words Shin had spoken.

"Is this for real?" asked Seigai.

"Remarkable," spoke Masayoshi.

"Am I dreaming?" asked Teruko.

"Welcome to your new facility," spoke Shin.

Before the group was an open corridor, brightly lit, lined with shining steel. A small green arrow pointed to the left, while a red arrow pointed to a thick door.

"I take it we're only allowed to go this way?" asked Masayoshi.

"Correct," replied Shin. This is where the new power generator is located. There is no need for any of you to venture over there, unless you have degrees in nuclear physics," replied Shin.

"Too much math for my taste. I have enough fun with the numbers I have to crunch for our research as is," spoke Seigai.

"Indeed. The lab is the only door on this side. If you have need for me, you need only use one of the communication panels located throughout the lab. Dr. Den is awaiting you," replied Shin.

"Thank you, Mr. Harai," spoke Masayoshi.

"Shin will do. I haven't been called by my surname since boot camp," replied Shin, as he walked back towards the elevator.

"My my, what an interesting, if not frightening fellow," spoke Masayoshi.

"Indeed. I figured they would up security a little, but this is a tad more extreme than I was expecting," replied Seigai.

"I don't mind. If Dr. Den wants to go the extra mile, than that's fine by me. As long as the research funding is there, he can do whatever he wants with the rest of the building," spoke Teruko, as the group of three entered the lab. Upon entry, they found their terminals had been replaced with more modern touch screen displays, their subject testing area enlarged, as well as more modern equipment all around. The room was brightly lit, all was polished steel. It appeared much more modern than the concrete lined lab they had been used to.

"I hope you don't mind the work I've done. I can't have ground breaking research taking place in an antiquated environment," spoke Dr. Kenji Den, as he stepped out from behind the terminal he was working on. His appearance was a little more modest than that of the building he had been converting. He stood about five foot seven, wearing thin frame glasses over red eyes. He had short, fine, straight bluish black hair, and wore a lab coat over a black dress shirt and tan dress pants, with brown dress shoes. The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he studied the three scientists before him.

"Glad to meet you, I am Dr. Kenji Den. You may call me Kenji," spoke Kenji, as he shook the hands of the three scientists.

"You must be Dr. Urufu," spoke Kenji, "and you're Dr. Son'u. The lovely lady here must be Dr. Kogi. Indeed, a pleasure to meet you all."

"Thanks you, Kenji," spoke Teruko, while hiding a blush.

"_Huh, and lady's man, huh?"_ thought Seigai to himself.

"I trust you find your new work environment to be agreeable?" asked Kenji.

"More than agreeable. This is amazing. Did you really put this together in two weeks, even with the investigation going on?" asked Seigai.

"The investigation took place only on the upper levels. We still had full access down here, so we were able to get to work right away. Besides the security measures, this is the only level that has been finished. I can get things done quickly, but I'm hardly a miracle worker," spoke Kenji.

"Is that a nuclear reactor you put in place at the other end?" asked Masayoshi, as he began pulling out a pair of hard drives with their research data written to them.

"Indeed it is. I'm sure you'll find that you'll never run out of power here. I intend to work on several projects that I have started across The Union Corporation here. Many require more power than can be given to this building off the city's power grid, so I have put in place the reactor. You need not worry, it is well contained, and has multiple safeties in place in order to prevent any foreseeable disaster. You are all more than safe down here, between the safely implements and security systems," explained Kenji.

"So it would seem," spoke Masayoshi, as he continued his data upload.

"How long will your upload take, Masayoshi?" asked Kenji.

"Not too long, really. I can leave this alone, if you have something to show us," replied Masayoshi.

"Oh, no, it would seem Shin took all my fun from me. He told me he had already explained the security systems after he left you," spoke Kenji.

"He told in the short time between when we left the elevator and arrived here?" asked Teruko.

"Of course. He simply used the com-panel in the elevator. He did tell you about those, right?" asked Kenji.

"He did, though, I didn't really notice the one in the elevator," spoke Teruko.

"It's there. You'll see it right away the next time you enter the elevator," replied Kenji.

"Very good. Now that we have this much out of the way, care to tell us what your area of expertise is?" asked Masayoshi.

"Ah, indeed. I should do that, shouldn't I? I'm an expert in pokemon research. It would seem Seigai here is the only one who knows human medicine," spoke Kenji.

"Well, we've learned quite a bit from working with Seigai. Even then, all of us had to take some classes on human medicine at one point as a basis for understanding pokemon anatomy," spoke Teruko.

"Of course," spoke Kenji.

"There, the data upload is complete," spoke Masayoshi, and he noticed the display on his screen.

"That took a shorter amount of time than I thought it would," spoke Masayoshi.

"The perks of state of the art technology. Now then, let's review what you've done so far, shall we? It would help to get a review of your work first hand, rather than the information I reviewed that was in Mr. Toyo's possession.

The group of four scientists spent the day analyzing the data, and discussing what each calculation was for and how everything would work. Seigai, Masayoshi, and Teruko quickly found out that their safety boundaries were no longer necessary, as the new equipment in this lab was much more efficient at carrying out operations than the equipment in their old lab. Kenji was more than happy to contact the Pokemon Center to see if they had any suitable candidates. They didn't at this point in time, but said they would let them know if a suitable pokemon should be placed in their care.

"Well, we may have to wait for some time before we can get a pokemon to use for our next experiment," spoke Seigai.

"We could always try developing parts from pokemon we already have. I'm sure one of the security guards will have a pokemon we can use," replied Masayoshi.

"Perhaps. Some of the guards aren't too keen on loaning out their pokemon to others," spoke Kenji.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be an issue. We're only going to be take tissue samples, not doing anything to them. It wouldn't take anytime at all, really," spoke Seigai.

"Indeed. I'll call one of them down here now. I'm sure he won't mind," spoke Kenji, as he signaled one of the guards on a nearby com-panel. Within a few minutes, the guard the group had spoken to before appeared.

"Ah, Mamoru. We need to borrow one of your pokemon, just to take a couple samples. No harm will come to it," spoke Kenji.

"As you wish, sir," replied Mamoru, as he cast one of his pokemon. An arcanine appeared out of Mamoru's pokeball.

"Ah, a fine beast," spoke Kenji, as he took out a small needle. The arcanine was a little skeptical.

"It's okay, he's just going to take a little blood. No need to worry," spoke Mamoru.

"Ah yes, I wouldn't hurt a pokemon. After all, I've devoted my life to your kind," spoke Kenji, as he took the sample. The arcanine let out a small whine, but that was all.

"There, that should do," spoke Kenji, "thank you, my friend."

"The arcanine let out a bark of approval as Mamoru recalled the creature into his pokeball.

"Will that be all, sir?" asked Mamoru.

"Indeed it is. You may go back to your post now, Mamoru," replied Kenji.

"Yes, sir," replied Mamoru, as he left the lab.

"Do all of your guards have a military background?" asked Masayoshi.

"Yes, all of them to the last. Only the best for my work. I don't want to leave anything to chance. All of them have been through extensive background checks, as well as having feedback provided to me from their superior officers from when they were in the armed forces. I've more than verified their character and ability. You need not worry about them turning their guns on us, if that is what your concern was," explained Kenji.

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that, just curious, was all," replied Masayoshi.

"I was a little worried," spoke Seigai.

"Same here," spoke Teruko.

"Fair enough. I suppose you may be that way after what took place here, but never fear, I would not allow anything to happen to anyone who works here with me and under me. It's bad for business if you have a reputation of your employees disappearing and what not," explained Kenji, as he took the sample to one of the machines in the room.

"All the computers here are linked, just as they were before. You need only pull up your subroutines, and the machine here will handle the rest," spoke Kenji, as he placed the sample into the machine.

"Works for me, if I may do the honors," spoke Seigai.

"By all means," replied Kenji.

"Let's see, we should try a leg this time, since we did an arm last time. All that's needed is the tissue sample of a ditto, and we'll be set.

"These machines already have those samples available. We have more than enough ditto samples in storage, so don't worry about running out," spoke Kenji.

"My, my, you really did plan ahead, didn't you?" spoke Masayoshi.

"Perhaps. Truthfully, I'm just as excited as the three of you to work out this research," spoke Kenji.

Seigai pulled up the calculations, and watched as the machine set it self to work.

"That should do it. We should have a leg here in a few hours," spoke Seigai.

"Oh no, it should only take an hour just to do one small limb like that," spoke Kenji.

"Just an hour?" asked Teruko.

"This equipment here is much more efficient than the equipment you're used to. Quite a bit faster, but don't worry, they don't take any shortcuts; you'll be seeing the results of your hard work very soon," explained Kenji.

"That's fine by me, I hated waiting for that arm. That long wait was enough to drive me crazy," spoke Teruko.

"I didn't do much for me," spoke Masayoshi.

"Well, no one likes to wait. So, what should we do in the mean time?" asked Seigai.

"I can show you the lounge over there. I'm sure you'll find this lab much more accommodating than your previous lab. You could practically live here," spoke Kenji, as he pointed out a room in the back of the laboratory.

Upon entering the lounge, they noted how stark a contrast it was from the lab. While the lab had an antiseptic feel to it, this room was clearly made for comfort. A pleasant, carpeted floor that was nearly soft to the touch, in combination with several padded lounge chairs around a glass table. There was a kitchenette on the right wall, complete with a refrigerator and cooking range.

"Is this how you treat all of your scientists?" asked Seigai.

"It is. I spare no expense here. I understand the benefits of creature comforts. I want the group of you to be as productive as possible," spoke Kenji.

The group of scientists enjoyed some sandwiches put together with random foodstuffs from the refrigerator. Kenji told the rest of the group he would gather whatever the group of three wished to have in place of the basic items he put there. After an hour had passed, the group returned to the lab to see leg of the arcanine fully completed. Seigai, Masayoshi, and Teruko were surprised at the speed of the procedure.

"Amazing! I can't believe it only took this long," spoke Teruko.

"It could be done faster, if I allocated enough power to these machines. They are only running at about half their output. I thought it would be best to take it a little slower with the first runs, just in case," explained Kenji.

"It's actually possible for the process to go faster? Extraordinary," spoke Masayoshi.

"I hate to be the group skeptic, but this means nothing if the leg doesn't work. We should test it immediately," spoke Seigai.

"Are you sure you want to do this tonight? It is starting to get a little late," spoke Kenji, noting it was already past six in the evening.

"I won't be able to sleep tonight knowing we have this perfectly fine limb sitting here in the lab, not even sure if it was a success or not. I don't know about you two, but I'd much rather see if it works or not," spoke Seigai.

"I'm with Seigai on this one," spoke Teruko.

"I am curious," replied Masayoshi.

"Very well, it won't take much to get the computer set up. Just have to initiate the testing program," spoke Seigai.

"Is it the same as the program you used for the human arm?" asked Kenji.

"Oh, no. That would never work. The nervous systems of different species, while fundamentally being the same, work very differently. An arcanine's leg would never move with a human's nerve feedback, only an arcanine's," explained Seigai.

"Do you think it would be possible to change that?" asked Kenji.

"Have a human be able to use an arcanine's leg?" asked Seigai.

"I suppose that's what I'm asking. Is it possible?" asked Kenji.

"Hmm..." muttered Seigai, as he was setting up the testing program. He continued thinking of a proper answer while running through some of the theories and calculations he had.

"I doubt it's impossible. I'm sure it would be looked into, if it were necessary. Though, I can't see why anyone would have need to do something like that. Not to mention the controversy that would arise. The people have had a hard enough time accepting our research as it. It's possible Mr. Toyo was killed by one of those protestors. Best to not partake in something that could stir them up further," explained Seigai.

"Are you sure about this? As an expert in pokemon research, I find it near impossible to accomplish such a thing," spoke Teruko.

"I would have to agree with with Teruko on this one," spoke Masayoshi.

"When you say near impossible, though, it implies it can be done. Do you both agree that it could be done? Forget the difficulty or practicality involved, I merely wish to confirm if it is possible or not," asked Kenji.

"It's possible," spoke Teruko.

"Possible, though quite difficult," spoke Masayoshi.

"Such a thing would require a reworking of the nervous system of the human involved, most likely leading to replacement of most of the spinal column. A hybrid could be made with this program; however, it would only be necessary to have a nervous system capable of the required neural output for effective control of the limbs; the strongest could be used, seeing as the nervous system wouldn't allow itself to be overloaded. A hybrid would be best, though," explained Seigai.

"What kind of modification would it take in your program to make this happen?" asked Kenji.

"None, really. Not to the core program, anyway. All that would be needed is a program to generate the hybrid DNA data. The program as it is has been designed to work with anything and everything," replied Seigai.

"Fascinating," spoke Kenji.

"Why are you interested in such a thing. I can see nothing to gain in attaching a limb from one species onto another that was not designed for said part," asked Teruko.

"Merely curious, that's all," replied Kenji.

"Fair enough," spoke Teruko, though she wasn't convinced by the statement, she opted to leave it be for the time being. As she finished her statement, Seigai had the computer set to test the arcanine leg, and began running the required tests to see if the limb was viable. As soon as Seigai started the program, everyone noticed the leg beginning to move.

"Amazing! It works just as planned," spoke Kenji.

"As much I figured. From this screen here, I can see that this part has significantly fewer faults than the arm we had developed before. These machines here in this lab are very much better than the equipment we had here before," spoke Seigai.

"That was my plan. I'm glad to see that this test has succeeded. Now all we need is a proper subject to continue, correct?" asked Kenji.

"Correct. All we can do is wait on the Pokemon Center. I would certainly not go out of my way to injure a pokemon, just so we could use it for an experiment," spoke Seigai.

"I agree. This research is for healing, after all," replied Teruko.

"What will we do in the mean time?" asked Kenji.

"Well, you could look over all our work and become better acquainted with it, while we continue to produce limbs from different species to ensure our current program will be fully compatible with all known species," spoke Seigai.

"Ah, that should work out, then," spoke Kenji.

"I agree with the idea. I think it would be a wise use of our time," spoke Masayoshi.

"Can't argue with that," replied Teruko.

"Very well. I shall see the three of you tomorrow, then," spoke Kenji.

"You plan on remaining here?" asked Seigai.

"Just for this night. I don't plan on making a habit of it. I would like to catch up on all of your work as soon as possible," answered Kenji.

"Don't work yourself too hard, and thank you for providing us with such a wonderful facility," spoke Seigai.

"I should thank you for allowing me a chance to be part of this groundbreaking research. This research has the possibility of changing both human and pokemon medicine. I'm not about to miss out on a moment in history," replied Kenji.

"Very well, until tomorrow," spoke Seigai.

"Have a pleasant evening," spoke Teruko.

"Do not work too hard," spoke Masayoshi.

Kenji smiled as he looked to his computer terminal. The three scientists hung up their lab coats in the small closet near the door, and made their way out of the lab. Each parted ways and returned for their homes, eager for the events of the next day. Each were pondering what species they should try to work on next.

The three slept peacefully into the next day. Seigai quickly turned on the news, paranoid of something else happening to impede the group's progress. As he noted that nothing had happened, he dismissed his thoughts and mounted his bicycle, looking forward to the pleasant spring breeze of early April. As he was going through the woods, he heard a loud shriek, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

"What was that?" asked Seigai to himself, as he got up, and took a look around. He was cautious as he took a walk towards the sound. He knew there could be wild pokemon in the brush. As most of the pokemon in the area were small and harmless, Seigai never thought to keep a pokemon with him from protection. The shrieking started getting louder as Seigai further entered the woods. He was startled as a couple of rattata scurried away from the sound of the shrieking. Seigai grew more cautious as he walked along. He finally found the cause of the shrieking as he looked onto the creature before him.

"Gar gar gardevoir..." spoke the pokemon. Seigai recognized it as a gardevoir. It was rolled over, sobbing on the ground. The pokemon appeared to be in great pain, but Seigai could not tell why. He quietly approached the pokemon. As it sensed him, it began to scream louder.

"Gar! Devoir voir!" shouted the gardevoir, as it tried to get away from Seigai.

"Easy, easy, I'm not going to hurt you, I want to help you... oh my God!" shouted Seigai, as he finally saw the source of the pokemon's pain. As it was moving away, it had revealed the left side of its body. Blood was dripping out of the place its left arm had been. It appeared as though it was burned off, as the hole left behind was mostly blackened. Only a little blood fell from the wound, presumably from being torn open when the gardevoir fell to the ground.

"Devoir..." spoke the gardevoir in fear, as it realized there was no chance of escape.

"Easy, I won't hurt you. I won't capture you, or battle you. I'm not even a trainer. I'm a medical researcher, I try to help people," explained Seigai. The gardevoir appeared to calm down somewhat, though it was clear it was still fearful of Seigai. Seigai tore off one of the sleeves of his shirt, and attempted to bandage the wound. He wished he had something to clean the wound with, but he knew he needed to stop the bleeding right away. He wrapped it around the pokemon's neck. As the gardevoir understood what Seigai was doing, it allowed him to move its head out of the way, so he could properly wrap the bandage.

"Voir..." spoke the gardevoir.

"I'm going to take you to some place where I can help you, to my lab in the city. I promise you, no harm will come to you. Please, trust me," spoke Seigai.

Seigai could feel something in his mind as he spoke. From what he knew of gardevoir, they were of the psychic type. He supposed the pokemon was reading his mind, and allowed it to do so, in order to better trust him.

"I see... I'll go," spoke the gardevoir.

"Okay, then... wait... did you just speak?" asked Seigai.

"I've been speaking," replied the gardevoir in a feminine tone of voice.

"I know, but I can understand you," spoke Seigai.

"I made it so I can translate my words into your language. As long as I'm near, you'll be able to understand me and other nearby pokemon. I read into your thoughts. You can make me a new arm?" asked the gardevoir.

"I can. I'm not sure it will work, though. We haven't gotten that far in our experiments. I can't say anything for sure," replied Seigai.

"I am willing to take a chance... uh..." spoke the gardevoir, as she appeared to fall back down.

"Are you okay!" shouted Seigai.

"It hurts... it hurts..." spoke the gardevoir.

"What happened to you?" asked Seigai.

"I don't know... I was just standing here... then there was this light... and my arm felt like it was on fire, then I felt nothing but pain in my shoulder... and then my arm was gone," spoke the gardevoir, with tears streaming down her face. Seigai could tell she was deeply confused by what had taken place.

"Come on, I'll take you to my lab," spoke Seigai.

"Okay..." replied the gardevoir. Seigai gently helped her up, and placed her on his back as he got onto his bicycle.

"Hold on as best as you can," spoke Seigai.

"I will try... but it's difficult," replied the gardevoir. Seigai could still hear the pain in her voice. Seigai peddled as fast as he could into Okadamashi. He received several stares as he entered the city, but he didn't have time to pay attention to them as he continued on. He quickly arrived at what was now The Union Corporation building, and pulled out his ID card for the guards.

"What is that?" asked the guard.

"She is a specimen for my experiment," spoke Seigai.

"Specimen?" asked the gardevoir, sounding a little nervous. The guards only heard "devoir?"

"Why is... 'she' not in a pokeball?" asked the guard.

"I don't have or need one. Look at her, she' not able to harm anyone or anything. I can attest to that," replied Seigai.

"Very well, but Mr. Harai will be escorting you as a precaution," replied the guard.

"I understand," replied Seigai.

Shin appeared shortly after he was summoned. Seigai still found the man uncomfortable to be around. The gardevoir began to panic upon seeing him.

"Get away, get away!" shouted the gardevoir, as she tried to break away from Seigai.

"What's wrong?" asked Seigai, trying to calm her down.

"I don't know! I just don't like what I feel from him!" shouted the gardevoir.

"He won't hurt you. He's here to make sure nothing happens to us," replied Seigai, doing his best to avoid making it seem like he knew what the gardevoir was saying.

"I see you have a specimen already. Where did you find it?" asked Shin.

"In the forest on my way here. She needs to be sent to the lab at once," replied Seigai.

"I see. Follow me, then," spoke Shin, as the guard gave Seigai his ID card. Seigai quickly overtook Shin, and slid his card through the reader on the elevator panel.

"My, my, in a rush?" asked Shin.

"Yes, yes I am," replied Seigai, as the elevator arrived to take them down into the lab. Seigai wasted no time in hitting the button that would take them to the lowest floor. As the elevator descended through the building, loud noised could be heard at certain points.

"What is that?" asked a still nervous gardevoir.

"What are all those sounds?" asked Seigai.

"They are working on renovating the other levels. I'm sure Dr. Den mentioned to you that only the tenth basement had been finished," answered Shin.

"Ah, I forgot about that," spoke Seigai.

"I see..." muttered the gardevoir, as she started to get drowsy.

"Don't fall asleep!" shouted Seigai.

"I'll try... but... this pain... it makes me want to..." muttered the gardevoir.

As soon as the elevator arrived, Seigai bolted for the lab, quickly making his entrance.

"Seigai? What is going on? Why are you late... wait... what is that?" asked Masayoshi.

"A gardevoir... oh, it's hurt!" shouted Teruko.

"I need to sterilize her wound. Prepare to take a sample, we're going to fabricate a new arm for her," spoke Seigai.

"I'll prepare to take the sample," spoke Kenji.

"It would be best if I took the sample. She's the most comfortable with me," replied Seigai.

"If you say so. Here is a syringe," spoke Kenji, as he handed the item to Seigai. Seigai quickly took the gardevoir to one of the medical beds. He laid the gardevoir out, and gently undid the bandage, while quickly grabbing some peroxide.

"This is going to feel strange, but it shouldn't hurt," spoke Seigai, as he poured the solution on the wound. The gardevoir winced a little, as Seigai used a set of clean cloths to clean the wound. After he was done, he applied a new bandage. He then pulled out a second syringe.

"This is going to hurt a little, but it is necessary. It's a fast acting pain reliever. It should stop the pain," explained Seigai.

The gardevoir nodded in understanding as Seigai injected her with the pain reliever. She winced again as Seigai withdrew the needle. He then prepared to take the next sample.

"This is going to hurt a little, too. I have to do this in order to make you a new arm," explained Seigai.

The gardevoir said nothing, though she tensed up as Seigai took the sample.

"There, all done. The pain should start to go away momentarily. I'll deliver this and be right back," spoke Seigai.

"Okay..." muttered the gardevoir.

Seigai handed over the sample to Kenji, who prepared the machine.

"How long will it take?" asked Seigai.

"About a half hour, give or take. I'll give more power to the machines this time, but I still don't want to go to full power just yet. Not until we've done more experiments. Are you sure you want to do this? That gardevoir should be fine for the time being. We should produce more limbs first," spoke Kenji.

"It's okay. It should work just fine. Please go ahead with the procedure," replied Seigai.

"Very well," spoke Kenji, as he began running the program. Seigai walked over to the gardevoir again, while is compatriots began the procedure for re-creating the gardevoir's arm.

"I'm here again. Are you feeling better?" asked Seigai.

"The pain is gone now. Thank you. Thank you for doing this for me. Even though we only met less than an hour ago, I feel I can trust you with my life," spoke the gardevoir.

"It's no problem. I want to help people. That's that this research is all about," replied Seigai.

"You are a good person. If you wish, I will allow you to capture me when this is over. I can think of no other way to repay you. Even if this doesn't work, I'll still agree to having you as my master," spoke the gardevoir.

"No, I couldn't do that. I'm not a trainer. I don't like the idea of capturing pokemon. It just seems... unfair to me," replied Seigai.

"Unfair?" asked the gardevoir.

"I just don't like the idea of capturing, training, and battling pokemon. I suppose the trainers out there wouldn't approve of my sentiments, but that's how it is. With all the wars that had been fought in the past with pokemon being taken advantage of... and all the cruel trainers out there who believe winning is everything... I couldn't put any being through any of it," explained Seigai.

"I see," replied the gardevoir, "May I still join you, just to be with you?"

"I... I don't see why not, but don't you have a family to return to?" asked Seigai.

"I don't. My parents were captured by a trainer while I was still a ralts. They were only interested in my parents, and left me behind, considering me to be much too weak. I have no home, and have been wandering for some time. It would be nice to have a home... and I feel positive emotions from you. I feel comfortable... like I don't want to leave you," replied the gardevoir.

"I understand. I don't mind, then. Perhaps we can keep each other company?" asked Seigai.

"I would like that very much, Dr. Urufu," spoke the gardevoir.

"You can call my Seigai. I guess you got my name when you read my mind. Do you have a name?" asked Seigai.

"Akane. I remember that's what my parents called me," replied the gardevoir.

"Akane it is, then," replied Seigai.

"Thank you, Seigai," spoke Akane, as she reached out for Seigai's hand. Seigai opted to allow her to touch his hand, hoping to comfort her further.

"I hope this works," spoke Seigai.

"It will. I know it will," replied Akane.

"It's always good to have faith," spoke Seigai.

"No, I mean I _know_ it will," spoke Akane.

"Hm?" asked Seigai.

"Never mind, I'll explain it later," spoke Akane.

"Eh?" asked Seigai.

"You really don't know too much about us, do you?" asked Akane.

"Hardly. I always focused on researching human medicine. Using pokemon became a necessity at one point, and everything changed from there. I know a little about a few of the species, and I can recognize several, but I only really know of the local pokemon around here," explained Seigai.

"I see. Then perhaps while I'm with you, I can tell you a little more about us," replied Akane.

"That would be nice. I'm sure it would help," spoke Seigai.

"Seigai?" asked Teruko, as she walked up to the pair.

"Oh, Teruko. Is the arm ready already?" asked Seigai.

"Just about. We should prepare the gardevoir now, so we can start right away," replied Teruko.

"Oh, indeed. Okay," spoke Seigai. He turned around to Akane, who was able to sit up and walk on her own now.

"Can you walk?" asked Seigai.

"I can walk. The pain was stopping me before, but now that it's subsided, I can walk around freely. I'll be glad to have my arm back. I don't like not having one," replied Akane.

"I suppose it would be uncomfortable," spoke Seigai.

"What would be uncomfortable?" asked Teruko.

"Huh?" asked Seigai.

"You said it would be uncomfortable. The procedure should be painless for the gardevoir. Why would you say otherwise... unless... oh," spoke Teruko.

"Huh? Oh, oops," spoke Seigai, realizing Teruko could only here Akane saying "gardevoir" over and over again.

"The gardevoir bonded with you that quickly? How unusual," spoke Teruko.

"Bonded?" asked Seigai.

"You can understand what it's saying, right?" asked Teruko.

"She," spoke Seigai.

"She? How do you know?" asked Teruko.

"I think I know," replied Akane.

"She knows, so I know," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, right. Well, gardevoir, as well as most psychics, tend to form a bond with their companions. It allows them to communicate more effectively. However, in most cases, there has to be a deep bond of trust before a psychic pokemon will do this with someone. It usually takes weeks for a bond like that to form, and she formed one with you in a few hours," spoke Teruko.

"Actually, right away, right when I found her. It was important we be able to communicate effectively. I guess that's why she did it," replied Seigai.

"That's partially true. I just feel something about you. I don't know what, but it makes me feel comfortable, complacent. I can't quite figure out what it is, though," spoke Akane.

"Oh," spoke Seigai.

"Well, as much as I'd like to continue this conversation, we should get ready for the procedure," spoke Teruko.

"Right," spoke Seigai, "Follow me, Akane."

Akane nodded, as Seigai walked towards a part of the room full of various glass chambers. Each had varying equipment within. One held a rapidly forming gardevoir arm. It linked to another chamber beside it. Seigai opened up the chamber, and made some adjustments to the bed on the interior. The strap mount on the bed shifted around to set themselves up for the size of a gardevoir.

"There, that didn't take too long, since you guys are about our size," spoke Seigai.

"That is convenient," spoke Akane.

"I'll set you in. Don't worry, it won't hurt," spoke Seigai.

"They bonded already?" asked Masayoshi, as he walked over to the chambers.

"I should have figured you would both know about these kinds of things," spoke Seigai, as he was gently placing a strap on Akane, right below the spike in her chest.

"It is our area of expertise," spoke Kenji, as he approached the group.

"It's ready as soon as you are," spoke Kenji.

"Ah, good," spoke Seigai, as he fastened the strap on Akane's remaining arm. As he was about to do her legs, he began to blush.

"Um... uh... maybe you should do those, Teruko," spoke Seigai.

"It's okay, just don't lift to high, and don't look up," spoke Akane.

"You don't mind?" asked Seigai.

"It's just my ankles. You're not going all the way up to my... personal area," replied Akane.

"Oh, indeed. It's just awkward, even if I'm only lifting your dress by a little," spoke Seigai, as he gently lifted the white and green skirt up enough to secure the ankle straps.

"Okay, you're set," spoke Seigai.

"Thank, you, Seigai," replied Akane.

Seigai smiled and departed the chamber. He closed it with the press of a key. He looked to a red key with the work "commit" written on it.

"I hope this works," spoke Seigai, as he hesitantly placed his finger on the button. He sweat a little as he finally got the nerve to press the key. At that moment, the computer began running the program for attaching Akane's new arm. Small mechanical arms removed the bandage that was put in place. Another arm used a chemical compound to numb the area where the surgery would be performed.

"I can put you to sleep, if you wish," spoke Seigai.

"I'm fine. I can't feel anything, and I want to witness this," replied Akane.

"Okay, but if you start moving, the machines will automatically emit a gas in there that will knock you out, so don't panic, okay?" asked Seigai.

"I won't," spoke Akane, as she watched in fascination. Small arms with needles in their ends began poking and prodding at Akane, while another scanned the area. On Seigai's screen, he could see a readout of the damage done to Akane's nervous system at the point of injury. The arms with the needles were quickly repairing them, as well as preparing them for the new arm.

"This should take about a half hour to complete. I think you should have left her unconscious. It's typically quite traumatic to experience that kind of surgery," spoke Masayoshi.

"She wants to experience it. If that is her choice, that is her choice. It's set to knock her out if she begins to panic.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," spoke Masayoshi.

Seigai and the others continued to watch as Akane's nervous system was adjusted for the new limb. After twenty minutes had passed, the door between the chamber with the new arm opened, and the machines began to attach the new arm. Within fifteen minutes, the arm was in place and attached. A final machine went around the site where it was attached, merging the fibers and tissues together, allowing for a seamless attachment that was intended to leave no sign of scarring. A few minutes later, the machines finished, automatically opening the chamber. Seigai immediately stepped up to the chamber, and undid the straps holding Akane down.

"How do you feel?" asked Seigai.

"I feel... strange. It's as if it was there the whole time, like it was never removed," spoke Akane.

"Try moving it, but be gentle," replied Seigai.

Akane slowly lifted up her new arm. She closed and opened her hands several times, then waved her arm around. She smiled as she relaxed her arm.

"Amazing! It works!" shouted Akane, as she jumped up and embraced Seigai. He blushed and returned the embrace, unable to think of a better way to react.

"My my," spoke Teruko.

"Oh joy..." muttered Masayoshi.

"Superb! Our first subject, and it worked right away," spoke Kenji, clapping as he said this.

"We can't be sure of anything yet," spoke Seigai, as he and Akane released each other from their embrace.

"We still need to do a few tests to make sure everything is okay. We'll test her daily for the next two weeks, then once a week for the following two months, to be sure there are no complications," spoke Seigai.

"I see. You can never be too sure," spoke Kenji.

"In the mean time, we should keep working on creating the limbs of other pokemon, until we have another test subject," spoke Masayoshi.

"I agree. We've yet to do a water type. Perhaps one of the guards have one?" asked Teruko.

"I believe there is one. He has a staryu. Should do just fine," replied Kenji.

"That won't do. Staryu can regenerate on their own, remember?" asked Masayoshi.

"Oh, yes, that's right. Hmm... I think one guard has a gyarados. I can use one of the aquatic facilities for gathering the sample. I'll have to do this on myself, since it is in an area still under construction," replied Kenji.

"If that's what is necessary. I'd rather not get too up close and personal with a gyarados, anyway," spoke Teruko.

"I agree, I'm not too comfortable around them," spoke Masayoshi.

"They're sweet as children, once you get to know them," replied Kenji.

"I wouldn't know. The only water types I've seen are the goldeen that inhabit the lake I go past on my way here," spoke Seigai.

"I've never met one before," spoke Akane.

"My, my, that gardevoir is rather talkative," spoke Kenji.

"Well, she has been through a lot in a short amount of time," spoke Seigai.

"Indeed. Well, that is all for today. Feel free to take the rest of the day off; I'll have the sample ready for tomorrow," spoke Kenji.

"Until tomorrow, then," spoke Seigai.

"Good day, everyone," spoke Masayoshi.

"Have a good day," spoke Teruko.

"Thank you, everyone," spoke Akane. Everyone understood her smiles as those of thanks.

The group of scientists departed for the day. It was still early in the afternoon. Seigai was hoping to take a longer way to get home.

"Are we going to your home?" asked Akane.

"Well, I'd like to take a more scenic route. It would be more fun to take the long way on a day as nice as this," replied Seigai.

"Can we stay away from that forest. I don't want to go there," spoke Akane.

"I have to go through there to get home. Don't worry, nothing will hurt you while you're with me. I'll see to that!" shouted Seigai.

"If you say so, then I'll trust you," replied Akane.

Seigai decided to head to the lake he was speaking of before. He found a ride around it to be rather peaceful at this time of day. There were several families having picnics around the lake. Akane looked around at the groups of individuals resting and relaxing. There were even some fishermen out, trying to catch something other than a goldeen.

"Want to take a break here?" asked Seigai.

"I would love to," replied Akane.

Seigai found a small area with few others occupying it. The grass there was soft and smooth. The place they were was on a small hill overlooking the lake. The pair took a seat next to one another, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing across the lake.

"This place is nice. I haven't had the chance to enjoy places like this," spoke Akane.

"What do you mean?" asked Seigai.

"I've been traveling for quite some time. I can't even remember where I started out now. I don't say in one place for too long," explained Akane.

"Why is that?" asked Seigai.

"Well... I'm not sure. I felt compelled to journey out here, so I did. I was going to rest in the forest before that strange light hit me," spoke Akane.

"That forest is pleasant most of the time. There is another forest by my house. I look out there all the time, watching the wild stantler and other pokemon running through it. On nice days like these, it's not too uncommon to see all manner of creatures wandering the area," explained Seigai.

"I saw a few stantler as I was walking through the forest. They seemed friendly enough," spoke Akane.

"Do you know where it was you were intending to go?" asked Seigai.

"I'm not sure. I don't feel like continuing, though. I'm done traveling for now," replied Akane.

"Is it out of fear?" asked Seigai.

"No... well, a little, but that's not the main reason," spoke Akane.

"What is the main reason, if you don't mind my asking. Seems I've been asking all of the questions," replied Seigai.

"It's okay. Since I did read your mind earlier, it's only fair I answer a few things for you. As for your question, I feel like I've reached my destination. I'm not sure what part of this is my destination, though, " explained Akane.

"You speak as though you know your own future," spoke Seigai.

"I do, in a manner of speaking," replied Akane.

"Eh?" asked Seigai.

"All of those in my species can see the future. Some with better degree than others. Those who have mastered the ability can freely look into the future as you and I would look into the past. That's how I know this arm you've given me will work fine, now and always," replied Akane with a smile.

"How is that possible?" asked Seigai, overwhelmed at the idea of being with one able to see the future.

"It's part of our psychic abilities. We are able to do this by bending time and space. It takes a lot of concentration to see anything detailed and meaningful. Only a gardevoir in deep meditation could hope to see something truly worthwhile," explained Akane.

"Is that so?" asked Seigai.

"It is. I don't really want to know my future in full, though. I'd rather live things as they happen. I just felt this pull one day, from something I saw in my sleep. I can't remember any images, at least not consciously. I've just felt a pull, as though this path I've walked is one I've been on before. I continued to follow it until I made it here. I even felt scared to enter that forest, though I didn't learn why until this morning. I don't feel that pull anymore. I don't know what's here that I'm suppose to see, but I know there's something here. Perhaps I'll understand it if I stay here for a little while," spoke Akane.

"So that's why you want to stay with me?" asked Seigai.

"I want to repay your kindness. It happens to work out for me, too," replied Akane.

"It would be nice to have some company. That house of mine does feel somewhat empty. I don't have guests over too often. More often than not, I'm busy working on something in the lab. Even at home, I often continue to run simulations on different things to see what I could potentially do. You know, this whole day have been quite exciting... well, I was scared earlier. I was worried if I was going to be able to help you or not," spoke Seigai.

"I'm glad you were there when you were. You've lived here for a while, right? Do you know what could have happened to me?" asked Akane. 

"Hm... well, the gym in Okadamashi is run by someone who specializes use of fire-type pokemon. It's possible someone associated with gym was practicing out there. I don't understand why they would be out in the forest, though. It's dangerous to have fire-types running around out there. If it was dry out here, they could have started a fire. It's a shame that some of the trainers around here don't think fully about their actions," spoke Seigai.

"I think it was a trainer. I felt a human presence. What I didn't feel was a pokemon, though," replied Akane.

"Are there pokemon you can't sense?" asked Seigai.

"It's hard for us to detect ghost, bug, and dark-types, though, even then, we usually feel something. There are psychics, too, that have strong mental blocks to keep from others from reading them. As far as I know, only houndour and houndoom could be able to do something like that," spoke Akane.

"They aren't native to this area, so it would certainly have had to been a trainer. I can't imagine why a trainer would want to do that to another pokemon, especially if this person was trying to capture you," replied Seigai.

"I don't know. I would rather not know. I think it's better that way," spoke Akane.

"You're right. Hopefully it won't happen again," replied Seigai.

The pair sat looking at the lake until sunset. During the day, the two continued to ask about their pasts. They had learned much about each other, with time passing by quickly. As they watched the sun set, it cast a beautiful array of oranges and pinks across the surface of the lake.

"Amazing. It's been so long since I've seen a sight like this," spoke Akane.

"It's been a while since I've seen it, myself. I rarely get this much time on my hands," replied Seigai, "are you ready to do?"

"I suppose so. We should get going. I am getting a little hungry, now that I think about it," spoke Akane.

"Same here. Can you eat our food?" asked Seigai.

"Oh yes, I can. Just as you could eat ours, I can eat yours. I hope you have enough for two," spoke Akane.

"I can manage for a day. I'll just go out and buy some more tomorrow on our way home from the lab," spoke Seigai.

"I hope this won't trouble you," spoke Akane.

"Well, if you're talking about money, I have more than enough for a full family. Taking care of just the two of us shouldn't be much of a problem," replied Seigai.

"I'm glad," spoke Akane.

The pair took off towards Seigai's home. Akane was nervous upon entering the forest once again, holding on tightly to Seigai, worried she would be attacked again. Seigai continued to comfort her as he made his way through the forest. Akane was relieved when they finally left it behind on their way to Hayashi. Akane felt at ease upon entering Seigai's home. She felt a comfort similar to the pulling that started her journey. She was wondering what it all meant, but opted to keep it to herself for the time being. Seigai prepared a meal of pasta and canned vegetables with some apple juice that night.

"Sorry, I kind of eat poorly," spoke Seigai, as he was heating up the vegetables in the microwave.

"I don't mind," replied Akane.

"I think Masayoshi said it best: I eat like a single man," explained Seigai.

"Aren't you? You don't seem to have a mate," spoke Akane.

"I don't. I'm not really looking, to be honest. I have this house that's fit for a small family, but I keep it to myself. I figured I'd meet the right person one of these days," replied Seigai.

"I see. I hope you meet someone wonderful," spoke Akane.

"Maybe. I'm not worried about it right now. I'm only twenty-five. Still got plenty of time to find a 'mate,' as you put it," replied Seigai.

The timer on the microwave went off, informing him his dinner was now complete. He set some dishes on the table. He spooned out the pasta into a pair of bowls. He set a container of Parmesan cheese on the table, as well as salt, pepper, and butter for the vegetables.

"I like to keep it simple. I already seasoned the pasta. Feel free to season the vegetables to your taste," spoke Seigai, as he sat down opposite of Akane at his small, round table. The pair quietly enjoyed their meal. After they were finished, Akane insisted on helping Seigai clean up.

"Please, let me help," asked Akane.

"It's okay; you're my guest here," replied Seigai.

"I insist," spoke Akane, as she used telekinesis to gently lift the dishes off of the table and placed them in the kitchen.

"That's convenient," spoke Seigai.

Akane smiled as she entered the kitchen. She used her psychic abilities to quickly clean, dry, and put away all of the dishes.

"Everything in the right place?" asked Akane.

"It is... that's amazing, how you did that. I wish I could do that," spoke Seigai.

"Nothing is impossible. That's what I'd like to believe. I'm sure you'll be able to one day, if you work hard at it," replied Akane.

"It would be nice. I guess I can give you the other bedroom. It's already set up. I haven't had anyone in there in quite sometime, but I keep it free of dust, so you should be good to go. The room has it's own bathroom, so you need not worry about any of that. Come, I'll show you where it is," spoke Seigai, as he led Akane up the stairs and down the short hallway. He pointed out her room right by the stairs.

"This is your room here. My room is at the other end of the hall, so if you need anything, let me know, okay?" asked Seigai.

"Okay. Thank you again for allowing me to stay here," spoke Akane.

"Don't mention it," spoke Seigai with a smile.

"Goodnight," spoke Seigai.

"Goodnight," replied Akane.

The next few weeks went along smoothly for the group of scientists. They continued to work on creating functioning limbs of other pokemon, while doing tests on Akane to make sure her arm was working as it should. After Kenji provided the gyarados sample, he began working on his own, separate from the others, saying he had something he wanted to try out. The others didn't mind as they continued to make progress, working with just about all of the guard's pokemon. Shin was the only guard who refused to allow his pokemon to be used. He didn't mention why, just stated that he didn't feel comfortable with the idea. No one said anything else on the point. After multiple tests, it was found that Akane's arm was working perfectly, despite the fact that it was grown from the cells of a ditto. Since it was formed with her DNA, it was as though it were here original arm. Thanks to the machines that performed the operation, there was no sign of scarring at the site of the attachment, making it impossible for anyone to know what had happened. The guards who saw Seigai bring in Akane originally simply believe they failed to notice her other arm, believing it impossible that it could have just appeared out of thin air, as it did to them.

Also during this time, Akane and Seigai would start to spend much time together alone. Akane eventually grew over her fear of the forest, and even took a walk through it with Seigai on occasion. Their favorite place was the hill overlooking the lake from their first day together. Seigai never once thought of trying to actually capture Akane, and he wouldn't allow any trainer to make the attempt. The pair continued to grow close. To Seigai, she didn't seem like a pokemon, and to Akane, Seigai didn't seem like just another human. Then there came a night when Seigai was trying to clean up after dinner before Akane could do everything for him.

"I appreciate your help and all, but at least let me clean up everything once in a while. I don't want to feel like a bum having someone cater to my every need," spoke Seigai.

"You cook our meals. I don't understand why you get so odd about letting me clean up," spoke Akane, as she tried to lift the dishes into the kitchen, while following them to clean them. Seigai was still holding onto the plate he had, while Akane was trying to lift it, causing Seigai to trip and fall on top of Akane. The plate ended up hitting the floor with Seigai still holding it, managing not to break, but Seigai wasn't worried about the plate. His heart started pounding as he looked down at Akane. He looked deeply into her magenta eyes. He took in every inch of her face, her silky smooth, white skin, her pointed ears, her beautiful green hair, her pale, thin lips, her slender neck, and lovely shoulders. Akane couldn't help but take in all of Seigai's face, his black eyes, his deep, black hair, his tanned skin. Her heart was also beating quickly. They continued to stare at each other, hearts racing, not saying a word. Finally, Seigai could take it no longer, and kissed Akane on the lips with a passion fueled by desire. By then, he had let go of the plate to wrap his arms around her. Akane couldn't hold herself back, and gave into the kiss. The two continued to kiss each other for a few minutes, finally breaking to breathe. As his mind caught up to his body, Seigai could only look at Akane with shock.

"Um... uh... I... I'm sorry..." spoke Seigai.

"Don't be," spoke Akane, as she kissed him again.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Seigai, sounding slightly nervous.

"I just know. I can't say, I just know... I think... I think I know where my destination was... here, with you," spoke Akane.

"Akane..." spoke Seigai, as the pokemon kissed him again. He returned the kiss, embracing her as the pair moved around on the floor, hearts racing. Seigai regained control of himself before he went too far.

"Are you okay?" asked Akane.

"I'm just fine, just didn't want to loose control of myself. I don't want to go too far too fast," spoke Seigai.

"I understand. I wouldn't want to rush things, either," spoke Akane.

"I guess things are going to be a little different around her now, huh?" asked Seigai, as he started caressing Akane's back.

"Indeed it will," replied Akane.

The pair headed for Seigai's bedroom, deciding to sleep in the embrace of one another. They enjoyed a night in each other's warmth, completely forgetting about the mess in the kitchen until that morning.

The next day was one of Akane's weekly tests at the lab. Once again, Akane got on Seigai's bicycle, holding on tightly to him, though, this time, it somehow felt different to the pair of new lovers. The pair blushed as Akane rest her head on Seigai's back. Seigai decided to take the long road to the lab that morning. Upon arriving in the lab, Teruko and Masayoshi were surprised to see them holding hands as they were.

"Um... oh dear..." spoke Masayoshi.

"I knew this was going to happen," spoke Teruko.

"What are you guys taking about?" asked Seigai.

"I would like to know as well," spoke Akane. After several weeks of interacting with everyone, she had learned to communicate properly with everyone, rather than just Seigai, allowing everyone to understand her.

"You two are still holding hands," spoke Teruko, while pointing at the pair. They didn't even realize they were doing it, and quickly separated, blushing the entire time.

"I don't mind, I think you two make a cute couple. Never imagined you would go for a pokemon. Wanted to do a little personal studying?" asked Teruko, in a teasing voice.

"Uh... um... hey, it's not like that!" shouted Seigai, in embarrassment.

"Goodness... I... um..." stuttered Akane.

"As much as I find this interesting, we should get these tests over with. I was looking forward to doing a tangela's foot today," spoke Masayoshi.

"Oh, yes, the tests," spoke Seigai, as he took Akane to the test chamber, and hooked her arm up to the equipment. Once again, he had Akane perform a set series of movements with her arm. He had her move it up and down, forward and back, bending left to right, and flexing her hand amongst other things. Akane repeated these movements in sequence ten times before Seigai took off the machine, and looked at the information displayed on the screen.

"Well, it's still the same, your arm is fully functional, Akane," spoke Seigai.

"Wonderful," replied Akane.

"Would you like to watch us work making a tangela's foot?" asked Seigai.

"I'd love to," answered Akane.

"Get a room," spoke Masayoshi.

"Be nice, Masayoshi. Haven't you ever fallen in love before?" asked Teruko.

Akane and Seigai blushed at mention of the word love, causing Teruko to chuckle a little.

"Well, shall we get started? I have the sample here. Kenji left it for us," spoke Masayoshi.

"Have there been any pokemon coming into the pokemon center we could use?" asked Seigai.

"No, not yet. Seems the challenges at the gym have gone down lately. It is the summer. I'm sure even trainers need a vacation every now and then. Even Blast himself has something planned, I'm sure. I wouldn't worry. I'm sure there will be another suitable pokemon," answered Masayoshi.

"True enough," replied Seigai.

"It would be best if we never needed to do such things," spoke Teruko.

"It's not always battles. Accidents happen all the time. Anything could happen, like having a limb crushed by a rock in a cave," explained Akane.

"That is true. I keep forgetting that there is a lot of rough terrain out there," spoke Teruko.

"Accidents happen for a variety of reasons, whether they be at work or on the road. No one plans these things. As much as I don't like battles, they are a part of our world, and just like everything else, are prone to accidents," explained Seigai.

"I suppose. Well, let's get started," spoke Teruko.

The next month continued with much of the same. After they exhausted all of the guards pokemon, they started to go back and make different limbs from the previous pokemon they worked on. They also went back to duplicating their own body parts, making sure their current program was still compatible with humans. Akane finished up her tests, each one ending with perfect results, much to the relief of Akane and Seigai.

The pair of Akane and Seigai continued to develop their relationship. They started acting as lovers, rather than simply two people sharing the same home. Akane now regularly shared Seigai's bed. They never moved past second base. Seigai did his best to remain a gentleman. It took several weeks before they even felt comfortable removing their clothes in front of one another, though they always kept their undergarments on. Seigai learned gardevoir can remove their skirts and tops. Seigai didn't ponder to himself how it worked, or how the clothes "appeared" when they evolve. Upon learning this, Seigai allowed her to buy several sets of undergarments for herself, which she started to wear under her gardevoir attire. On the day of the last test Akane had to take, Seigai decided to take Akane out to a pleasant restaurant in Okadamashi. Some stared at Seigai, while others didn't pay the couple any mind. After the controversy of pokemon-human relationships was settled, people learned to accept and live with it, for the most part. Seigai didn't mind in the slightest as the pair enjoyed a wonderful meal. At the meal's conclusion. Seigai took a long look at Akane.

"_Well, I guess it's now or never,"_ thought Seigai.

"Akane," spoke Seigai.

"Yes, Seigai?" asked Akane.

"It's been wonderful being with you these past few months," spoke Seigai.

"I've enjoyed your company as well," replied Akane.

"I'd like to keep enjoying your company, keep waking up next to you in the morning. I even don't mind if we keep fighting about who cleans up the house as long as your there with me," spoke Seigai.

"I wish the same, to be able to see you and be with you would be the greatest pleasure for me to enjoy," replied Akane.

"Then I'd like to ask you, if you would do me the honor of marrying me, Akane," asked Seigai, as he looked deep into Akane's eyes, and presented a ring he had hiding in his pocket.

"Oh..." spoke Akane, speechless at what she had been asked. There were a few people looking on with anticipation, wondering what her answer would be, cheering on the couple, while others just did their best to ignore the pair. Akane was completely stunned, the only thing showing she was alive was the lone tear rolling out of her eye.

"Of course I'll marry you!" shouted Akane, as she allowed Seigai to place the ring on her finger. She wrapped up Seigai in an embrace and kissed him before everyone, to the applause of those who approved of their relationship. Two pairs of claps grabbed the pair attention as Teruko and Masayoshi walked over to the couple.

"Congratulations!" shouted Teruko.

"Indeed, congrats to you," spoke Masayoshi.

"Huh? What are you two doing here?" asked Seigai, as he ended his kiss with Akane.

"I had a feeling you were going to propose tonight. I could see it in your eyes when you told Akane what you planned for the night. Sorry for eavesdropping, but I had to see it for myself," spoke Teruko.

"I tried to talk her out of it, but she dragged me along. I'm happy for you and Akane, Seigai," spoke Masayoshi.

"You are? You were kind of against our relationship at first," spoke Akane.

"Well, I got over it. After seeing the two of you together, I accepted your relationship, and decided to leave it be. I don't want to ruin things for you," spoke Masayoshi.

"Besides, Akane, you'll need help planning a wedding, and only the brilliant mind of a woman such as myself can help you with that!" shouted Teruko in excitement.

"I don't know what to say..." spoke Akane.

"You guys..." spoke Seigai.

"Hey, don't worry about it. That's what friends are for, right? We might be a little more... um... 'seasoned' in life than you two, but we still want to help. So, got a date yet?" asked Teruko.

"We just got engaged. I'm not thinking that far ahead," replied Seigai.

"Oh, right. Well, what do want? I could have it ready to go in a month, if you're willing," offered Teruko.

"A month?" asked Seigai.

"It is a little quick," spoke Akane.

"How about six weeks. I'll need to gather my family up for the ceremony, and make sure they get the chance to meet Akane," replied Seigai.

"That's still kind of quick," spoke Akane.

"I can wait, if you like. I'm in no rush," replied Seigai.

"Hmm... I like six weeks. It feels right to me," spoke Akane.

"Well, I guess the little lady is giving us another fortune," replied Masayoshi.

"If she 'feels' it, then six weeks it is!" shouted Teruko.

"_She's more excited about this than we are,"_ thought Seigai and Akane.

"_She's trying to live her dream through them,"_ thought Masayoshi, noting how overly excited Teruko was.

The next six weeks went by quickly for the pair. Seigai had called and invited all of his family to the ceremony. Teruko helped Akane and Seigai find a person who accepted relationships between humans and pokemon, as well as plan a grand ceremony for the pair. Masayoshi opted to say out of it, trying to keep work in the lab his top priority, since "no one else seems to care," as he kept grumbling throughout the time. If a suitable test subject appeared, they would be more than happy to help, but after months of generating pokemon parts, planning a wedding was far more exciting. Kenji continued his work in silence, keeping everyone else away from what he was doing, though he did mention his interest in attending the wedding. Shin laughed at the wedding, though he was kind enough to keep his opinions to himself, not wanting to upset anyone. Before Seigai and Akane knew it, it was the day of their wedding. Seigai was more than nervous as he waited at the altar in his tuxedo.

"You okay?" asked Masayoshi. Seigai had asked him to be his best man, as they had become close friends while working on their project together.

"Just a little nervous, that's all. Never been married before and all," replied Seigai.

"Ah, well, from what I hear, once you see her, your mind will only be on her, and your worries will all wash away," spoke Masayoshi.

"I've seen it all before, Dr. Urufu. Your friend is quite right. Once you see her, you'll only see her, and nothing else will matter," spoke the justice of the peace of Hayashi.

"I hope so," spoke Seigai, as he looked around the room. The town hall of Hayashi was full of Seigai's family members and friends. As Akane had no known family, there was no one present for her, though, Seigai told Akane to think of her parents as being there in spirit, wishing there was a way to track them down. Akane felt relieved at Seigai's words over the phone earlier that morning, and prepared herself for the wedding. Teruko had helped her pick out an extravagant dress. A wonderful white lace in a cascading pattern went up the skirt and to the top of the dress, continued on the veil. A necklace of diamonds was wrapped around her neck with a platinum clasp. Teruko loved the necklace she had chosen. The dress bottom was layered with several petticoats, giving Akane a full figure. Akane looked to her bouquet on the table, made of red roses. Teruko wondered why red, as it was a little cliché, but Akane explained that her name meant "red sound." The roses were reference to this, and Teruko decided to dismiss it.

"I can't believe I'm dressing up a bride!" shouted Teruko, while wearing a brilliant blue dress.

"I'm sure your time will come, too," spoke Akane.

"Oh, I can only hope!" shouted Teruko, while squealing like a little girl.

A knock at the door gathered the attention of the pair, as Teruko had secured the diamond earrings that completed her outfit.

"Am I early?" asked Kenji.

"No, you're just in time," spoke Teruko.

"Are you sure I should be doing this?" asked Kenji.

"You did help bring us together, in a way. If you didn't continue funding Seigai's research, we would have never met. I don't really know anyone else who could take on the role, and I really don't want to walk down the aisle alone," replied Akane.

"If you insist, then," spoke Kenji, with a smile.

"Is Shin here?" asked Teruko.

"No, another one of my guards is here in his place. He's... against this kind of wedding, no offense to you and your husband to be. He wishes you both well, it's just..." spoke Kenji.

"It's okay, I understand. Honestly, there's just something about him that makes me feel uncomfortable. I'd rather he not be here, anyway," replied Akane.

"Indeed. Well, shall we begin our march down the aisle then, my dear?" asked Kenji.

"I believe we shall," replied Akane.

In the main hall, two of Seigai's relatives, two children on his father's side, were taking the role of the flower girl and ring bearer. The ring bearer was a little nervous, as if he was worried he could trip at any moment, while the flower girl was smiling as she was tossing rose petals left and right. Seigai smiled at the pair as the room grew quiet. The momentary silence made Seigai nervous again. He knew he was about to see his bride. The anticipation was getting to him, but he was careful not to speak a word or even blink. He didn't want to miss the moment when he would lay eyes on his bride in her wedding attire for the first time. As the Wedding March began, and the wooden doors of the white plastered hall opened, Seigai's eyes were on one thing and one thing only: his lovely bride. Just as Masayoshi and the justice of the peace said, all he could think about was his bride to be. Seigai's eyes didn't leave his bride for a second.

Akane stared deeply at Seigai as she made her way down the aisle. She wasn't even paying attention to Kenji as she continued her march. Her eyes were on Seigai, as was her mind. Nothing else in the world mattered for either of the two, and that's exactly how they hoped it would be. At the end of her march down the aisle, silence filled the hall as the justice of the peace prepared to speak.

"Who gives this lady to this young man?" asked the justice of the peace.

"I do," spoke Kenji. As he said his words, he handed Akane to Seigai and quietly took his seat in the front row.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this glorious day to witness the union of Akane and Dr. Seigai Urufu," spoke the justice of the peace, "Akane and Seigai, you are about to take your vows, which must be taken seriously. As husband and wife, you will have many responsibilities to one another. Do you understand?"

"Yes," replied Seigai.

"I understand," replied Akane.

"Very well. Before I begin, I must ask if anyone has good reason that these two should not be wed that they speak now, or forever hold their peace," replied the justice. No one made a sound.

"Good, now then, Seigai, do you take Akane to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, 'till death do you part?" asked the justice.

"I do," spoke Seigai.

"And do you, Akane, take Seigai to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, 'till death do you part?" asked the justice.

"I do," spoke Akane.

"Okay, Seigai, do you have a ring for Akane?" asked the justice.

"Yes," replied Seigai, as he picked up one of the rings on the pillow presented by the ring bearer.

"Now repeat after me, with this ring, I do thee wed," spoke the justice.

"With this ring, I do thee wed," spoke Seigai, as he placed the ring on Akane's finger.

"Akane, do you have a ring for Seigai?" asked the justice.

"I do, replied Akane, as she picked up the other ring.

"Now repeat after me, with this ring, I do thee wed," spoke the justice.

"With this ring, I do thee wed," spoke Akane, as she placed the ring on Seigai's finger.

"Then, with this exchange of rings and this exchange of vows, it is my privilege as Justice of the Peace of the Village of Hayashi to pronounce you as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.

Seigai wasted no time in gently lifting Akane's veil and kissing her deeply before everyone. A loud applause came from those filling the hall in approval of their wedding.

"I now present for the first time, Dr. Seigai Urufu and Mrs. Akane Urufu as husband and wife," spoke the justice, bringing forth more applause from those gathered in the hall. The bride and groom smiled as they walked down the aisle together, receiving praise from their friends and family.

"I hope you'll join us for..." started Seigai and Akane to be interrupted by a quick flash behind them. The pair quickly turned around to see a man with two gardevoir appear. Seigai was surprised when he saw Akane begin to tear up.

"Where are we?" asked the man. He was dressed in a dark blue tuxedo, obviously prepared for a formal occasion. Both gardevoir were in ornate dresses. One was in a matching dark blue dress, while the other wore a lighter shade of blue with a much more ornate design.

"At our daughter's wedding... a tad late," spoke the gardevoir in dark blue, with a male voice.

"I told you to hurry," spoke the gardevoir in light blue, frowning at the other gardevoir.

"Father... mother..." spoke Akane.

"Hello, Akane," spoke the male gardevoir.

Akane rushed to embrace her parents, all while the man continued to appear to be disoriented.

"Well, this is a surprise. Um... who are you?" asked Seigai, while looking at the man.

"Oh, uh, Takeshi. I'm the trainer of these two gardevoir. We saw your wedding announcement, and these two ended up going crazy, and well, here I am. I take it you're Dr. Urufu?" asked the man in the tuxedo.

"I am indeed, a pleasure to meet you," spoke Seigai, as he shook Takeshi's hand.

"I can't believe you ended up here," spoke Akane.

"We just felt we should be here. We were in the area," spoke Akane's father.

"And then we saw the announcement, and got Takeshi to allow us to come here. We didn't have much notice, so that's why we're a little late," replied Akane's mother.

"Amazing, the bond between gardevoir sure is something else," spoke Teruko.

"I suppose so," replied Masayoshi.

"I'm so glad you're here! We have to much to catch up on!" shouted Akane.

"Indeed we do, dear, indeed we do," replied Akane's father.

"Is this man your husband," asked Akane's mother, while approaching Seigai.

"Indeed I am Dr. Seigai Urufu. I don't mind if you call me Seigai. It is an honor to be married to your daughter," spoke Seigai, as he reached out to shake the hand of his mother in law.

"I am Kasumi, and this is my husband, Satoshi," spoke Akane's mother, as she shook Seigai's hand.

"I'm glad my daughter found someone of good mind and body. I don't mind that you're a human, just be sure to treat my daughter right," spoke Satoshi, as he shook Seigai's hand.

The wedding celebration continued in the reception hall. As soon as everyone was gathered, Masayoshi took the microphone, and spoke out to the crowd, with a smile that rarely graced the older man's face.

"May I have your attention, everyone. At this time, all eligible single women out there should gather for the tossing of the bouquet," spoke Masayoshi. The single women present scrambled to get a good position behind the bride.

"Oh my," spoke Akane.

"Give it a good throw, my love!" shouted Seigai.

Akane smiled as she turned around, and gently tossed her bouquet of roses into the air. Teruko appeared to be scrambling to get to the bouquet to the point of scaring away some of the younger women in the crowd. She reached her hand out and took her prize.

"Yes!" shouted Teruko, almost foaming at the mouth in excitement, causing other women to back off.

"My, my, she's quite serious about wanting her chance at finding someone, huh?" asked Masayoshi.

"This is your fault for all those times you bothered her about it while we were waiting for our calculations to process," spoke Seigai.

Masayoshi grunted in response, as he took the mic again.

"And now I'd like to call forth all the eligible single men for the garter toss!" shouted Masayoshi, once again pulling up a forced smile.

"I guess I won't be as embarrassed this time," spoke Seigai, as he carefully leaned down and slipped off Akane's right shoe. He gently lifted up her skirt, and slowly undid her garter, savoring the moment as he slid the lace garter down her smooth, white leg. He replaced her shoe, and took to the front of the crowd of eager men. Seigai stared at Masayoshi, waiting for him to join the crowd. He grumbled to himself before finally joining in, bringing a smile to Seigai's face.

"Make it a good one, dear!" shouted Akane.

Seigai smiled further as he gave the garter a good toss. There wasn't as much of a panic this time. Masayoshi was actually doing his best to avoid it, while Takeshi, still in a daze, found it hitting him in the face.

"Whoa," spoke Takeshi.

"Huh," spoke Teruko.

"That's it? Just huh?" asked Satoshi.

"I don't know him, really. Honestly, I'm just glad Masayoshi didn't get it. You know, that Takeshi fellow is kind of cute.

Takeshi smiled as he fitted the garter up Teruko's leg. Teruko was smiling with glee.

"Well, the stoned trainer and the mad scientist get together in the end... I fear for the world if they have children," spoke Masayoshi, not faking or forcing his smile this time.

"Oh, shove it," spoke Teruko.

The reception continued on in laughter until it was time to cut the cake. Seigai and Akane gently cut into the layered cake, smiling as they fed each other a slice. Everyone smiled at the moment the couple had. Both were enjoying looking into each others eyes so much they forgot they were eating cake. Once everyone had a chance to sample the cake and some of the wondrous selection of fine meats and cheeses, it was time for the dance. Seigai was nervous about dancing with his wife. While gardevoir were natural dancers, Seigai was a natural klutz. He tried not to think about it and followed his wife's lead. As much as he tried to follow her, those watching couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, at least he's good at what he does," spoke Satoshi.

"You'll have to teach him how to dance," spoke Kasumi.

"Like how you tried to teach me?" asked Takeshi.

"Well, there are some who are just unteachable," spoke Satoshi.

"That's not nice," replied Takeshi.

"Shall we join, my dear?" asked Kasumi.

"I was hoping you would ask," replied Satoshi, as he took his wife to join in the dancing.

"Well, stranger, don't be shy. Why let your pokemon have all the fun?" asked Teruko.

"You didn't hear anything they said, did you?" asked Takeshi.

"It can't be that bad," spoke Teruko, forcing Takeshi to join her.

Teruko found out just how bad a person could be at dancing when Takeshi ended up tripping and falling down onto the floor within seconds after they started, to the sound of another round of laughter from those present.

"That makes me feel a little better about my dancing now," spoke Seigai.

"See, you're learning. You'll soon be as graceful as a kirlia," replied Akane.

"I can only hope," spoke Seigai.

The reception continued on through most of the day. As the sun sat for the evening, everyone went their separate ways.

"Where to now, my love?" asked Akane.

"I believe it's time we headed to our home together," replied Seigai.

Akane smiled as they were taken to their home via limo. Said vehicle would return in the morning to take them on the cruise Seigai had planned. Seigai picked up Akane as they entered what was now their home. As the stars began to appear in the deep blues and reds of the sky, Seigai brought his wife into their bedroom.

"This must be dream," spoke Akane, as she sit on the bed, gently taking off her shoes.

"If it is, then I would rather not wake up," replied Seigai, as he removed his shoes. The pair of lovers looked into each other's eyes. They had been waiting for this moment the whole week, since they had parted ways, as per tradition. The pair gently helped each other out of their wedding attire. As much as they wished to simply give into their passions as they had their first night as a couple, they wished to savor the moment more than anything else. After nearly a half hour of gently removing and hanging up each other's wedding attire, the pair stared deeply at each other, each now free of their clothing, and ready to show their passion for one another. As the pair embraced one another, they began kissing deeply, Akane couldn't help but use her telekinesis to make both float into the air and land softly on the bed. The couple continued their kiss, ready for the culmination of their wedding night.

"I love you, Akane," spoke Seigai.

"And I love you, Seigai," replied Akane.

The two shared a wonderful night of love making, filling the air with sounds of passion and romance. They continued on throughout the night, before resting up for their cruise. The pair flew out to Iwaminatoshi, the port city of the Ishiba Region, located on the northern coast. The pair enjoyed a lovely cruise, complete with bathing in the sun, as well as watching the pokemon of the sea in their natural habitat. At one point, Akane took Seigai on a ride on a wild lapras, gathering the attention of everyone watching. No one on the ship was at all bothered by the pair as a married couple, much to their relief. After the two week cruise, the pair of lovers returned to Hayashi, hoping to hear good news from the research group.

"Ah, what a lovely time! If only it could have lasted a little longer!" shouted Seigai, as he carried his wife through the door of their home. He told himself he had to do it one more time.

"There's always another time, dear," replied Akane.

"Ah, so our lovely daughter has finally returned," shouted Satoshi, as he teleported into the foyer.

"Whoa... you surprised me, there," spoke Seigai, not used to seeing pokemon appear in front of him suddenly inside his own house. Even Akane never teleported around the house. Before the couple left, Akane offered to allow Satoshi and Kasumi to stay at her house. Takeshi had left, stating that he should leave his pokemon with their family, though promising to visit when he could. While Satoshi and Kasumi missed Takeshi, they were looking forward to getting to know their daughter.

"Did you two have a good time?" asked Satoshi.

"Well, there was this funny thing that happened with a lapras," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, you're still going on about that?" asked Akane.

"We were the number celebrities on the ship after that one. Not to mention I've never been on a lapras before, much less a wild lapras," replied Seigai.

"Oh my, sounds like you two had fun," spoke Kasumi, as she entered the room.

The group of four traded stories together for the rest of the day. Seigai and Akane talked about the fun they had on their cruise, while Satoshi and Kasumi talked about the adventures they had with Takeshi. Upon his return to the lab the next day, Seigai got to look forward to hearing about the successful regeneration of a hitmonlee's leg, after it had been crippled during a gym battle. They had the pokemon there, giving him one of the required tests.

"My, seems you all have been busy here, as well," spoke Seigai.

"Indeed. I never thought I would be happy for something that dangerous Blast did. I suppose it was only a matter of time," spoke Teruko.

"I would much rather that young man tone down his fights. I can't believe the kind of injury he brought upon me," spoke the hitmonlee.

"Huh... oh, right," spoke Seigai.

"What was that about?" asked Teruko.

"Well, seems that mating with a gardevoir has an interesting side effect," spoke Seigai.

"Interesting side effect?" asked Teruko.

"I can understand all pokemon I encounter now," replied Seigai, "I was expressing my surprise at momentarily forgetting."

"Fascinating," spoke Teruko, as she stopped looking at the screen in front of her, and gave Seigai a good look over.

"Um, what are you doing?" asked Seigai.

"I might have to study you later. I'd like to see what a CAT Scan would show. I'm sure it'll show something interesting!" shouted Teruko.

"Easy, now, one project at a time. You need to focus on that hitmonlee's tests," spoke Masayoshi, as he was keeping an eye on the screen, while the pokemon continued to perform the necessary movements.

"That should do it. We can take you back to your trainer now," spoke Masayoshi, "You'll be glad to know your new leg is working just fine."

"Excellent. I don't know what I would do without it. Fighting is my life," replied the hitmonlee. Seigai decided to translate for the other two scientists, as the took the hitmonlee to his trainer. After completing the task, they returned to the lab.

"Now then, what should I do with you first?" asked Teruko.

"Nothing," spoke Seigai.

"Quite correct. This project is much more important. There are others out there who have done much work on how bonds with psychic pokemon affect the minds of humans," replied Masayoshi.

"But how many have someone who has _mated_ with a pokemon?" asked Teruko.

"At least one. That guy who was with the alakazam ended up allowing himself to go through those kinds of tests. You're a little late to be hopping on that bandwagon," spoke Masayoshi.

"But we need someone to compare, and here he is!" shouted Teruko.

"I'm not going to be your lab rat, and that's final. Now then, before I start reading the data you've processed with that hitmonlee, I'd like to ask what our friend Kenji has been up to," spoke Seigai.

"Him? Who knows? He keeps working on that personal project of his. I would have thought this would be more important, but ever since we performed that procedure with Akane, that's all he's been interested in," answered Masayoshi.

"I see. Well, it can't be helped, then. He is in charge of this outfit. What he does is his business. Now then, how about this data on that hitmonlee. I'd love to take a look at it! I didn't think there would be such exciting news waiting for me upon my return!" shouted Seigai.

"Indeed. Glad to see you're back on task, now that this wedding business is over with. Let me pull it up for you," spoke Masayoshi.

Seigai spent the remainder of the day looking over the data from the hitmonlee. He was amazed how successful it was. The damage to the hitmonlee's nervous system at the site of where the limb had to be severed was far more extensive than that which was done to Akane. In the end, the procedure was just as successful. There was no sign of scarring, and the hitmonlee had full control over his leg. There were even more nerves to be repaired, considering how vital a hitmonlee's legs are to it's fighting style. Furthermore, the machines were run at full power, maximum speed, opening up the greatest chances of mechanical error during the procedure, and it still turned out perfect. Seigai, in his wildest dreams, never thought his project was turn out to be this successful. He was more than happy to share the news with his family, who were more than happy to hear of the success.

Over the next couple of months, business at the lab continued. They were continuing working with different parts of pokemon. They had even made more sensitive parts, such as eyes and ears, as opposed to just arms, legs, and other similar appendages. They continued the tests on the hitmonlee, each still turning out successful. A few days after the last test had been performed on hitmonlee, Seigai had another surprise in store for himself that night.

"Akane, are you okay?" asked Seigai, as his wife had suddenly fell ill, and felt the need to vomit, just barely making it to the bathroom.

"Akane!" shouted Seigai.

"Oh... dear..." muttered Akane.

"I think we should go to the Pokemon Center," spoke Seigai.

"I think so..." spoke Akane, sounding a little weak.

"What's wrong?" asked Satoshi.

"We heard you shouting," spoke Kasumi.

"We need to get to the pokemon center. I'll take her," spoke Seigai.

"Wait, hold on," spoke Satoshi, as he held onto Seigai, while Kasumi held onto Akane.

"Here we go," spoke Kasumi.

"Huh?" asked Seigai.

Within moments, there was a quick flash of light before Seigai. He felt as though his body was being stretched apart and pulled at the same time. It didn't cause him pain, but he did find the sensation to be unique. When the flash subsided, he found himself in the Okadamashi Pokemon Center.

"So this is why Takeshi was out of it at the reception," spoke Seigai, as he was trying to get his bearings.

"I suppose it is a good thing we came here as we entered this city," spoke Satoshi.

"Um, can I help you?" asked Nurse Joy.

"Oh, my wife was just throwing up just a few minutes ago. She looks weak, too," spoke Seigai.

"Wife? Never mind, I'll look at her right away. Which one is she?" asked Nurse Joy.

"This lovely lady here," spoke Seigai, and she took her from Kasumi.

"Still flattering me, I see," replied Akane, sounding a little better than she did a moment ago.

"I'll have a look at her. Please remain here," spoke Nurse Joy.

"Okay," replied Seigai.

"So now we wait, huh?" asked Kasumi.

"Yeah," spoke Seigai, still looking down the hallway Nurse Joy took Akane.

"It's okay for you to be worried, but don't drag yourself down like that," spoke Satoshi.

"It is what it is, so just wait patiently with us, okay?" asked Kasumi.

"Okay," replied Seigai, "It's just that I'm worried this could be the start of some kind of strange side effect from when we regenerated her arm, that's all."

"Now now, don't say things like that. For all we know, it was just something she ate getting to her, now sit down and relax," spoke Satoshi.

"Yes, sir," replied Seigai.

Seigai never liked to wait for anything. He had to keep his mind busy with something at all times. He even had a good book with himself to read, should he need something to keep his mind occupied. Before pulling it out, he took a look at the magazines before him. He sighed when he noticed they were all geared towards trainers. He was about to reach for his book when he noticed that Satoshi and Kasumi were doing their best to comfort one another. Seigai watched quietly, trying to learn more about how gardevoir dealt with these types of situations. They appeared calm and collected. They still showed signs of worry, but they didn't let it consume them. Seigai marveled at their ability to remain calm. He concluded they must have grown used to such situations when they were with Takeshi on his pokemon journey. An hour had passed, and Nurse Joy came back with Akane.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Seigai.

"Perhaps you should tell him," spoke Nurse Joy.

Akane nodded as she sent a telepathic message to Seigai. At first, Seigai appeared relieved, then a feeling of dread took his face.

"Seigai, what's wrong?" asked Satoshi.

"I need to see a doctor, right now!" shouted Seigai.

"Why? Is there some kind of emergency?" asked Satoshi, starting to worry about his son in law.

"There is alright! I need a vasectomy, right now!" shouted Seigai, for all to hear. He didn't care about the stares.

"What?" asked Satoshi.

"I'm pregnant," spoke a smiling Akane.

"With triplets," spoke Seigai.

"Oh... huh..." spoke Satoshi, as he processed the information.

"That's... um... wow..." stuttered Kasumi.

Satoshi and Kasumi stared at one another for a moment, right before fainting.

"So, uh, Akane, can you teleport us all back home. I think I need to think," spoke Seigai.

"I think we both need to 'think,'" spoke Akane, while looking to Nurse Joy.

"You can for now, but after the next month, you should cease using any of your abilities that could put a strain on your body," explained Nurse Joy.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Akane, "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"I wish you luck, and congratulations!" spoke Nurse Joy.

"Okay, I'm ready," spoke Akane, and she placed a hand on her parents. Seigai simply hugged Akane in joy. Though his immediate reaction was less than elegant, he was truly happy about the news. Once again, Seigai saw the bright flash, and felt himself being pulled home.

Seigai and much to do over the next few months. He was glad to know that the gestation period for gardevoir was also about nine months, giving him and Akane about seven to prepare. Seigai got to work building an extension to his house, making a room for each of the three new children. Seigai was glad to have as much money as he had. If he still had all the bills he had while he was in med school, he knew he would never be able to afford having children, regardless of if they were pokemon or not.

As the months rolled along, Akane continued to get bigger. Seigai would rub her belly every night before they went to sleep, hoping to impart the love he planned to give to his children. Satoshi and Kasumi were delighted at the idea of becoming grandparents. Everyone at the lab had a small party to celebrate. Their celebration would come on the eve of replacing the eye of a venusaur, which had it's eye damaged during a challenge to Blast. Fortunately, the machines in the lab were designed to accommodate a pokemon the size of a venusaur. The successful procedure marked a milestone in the development of the project. The tests on the eye demonstrated just how truly powerful their operation was.

The big day arrived as Satoshi, Kasumi, and Seigai took Akane to the Pokemon Center. They already had a place set for Akane. Seigai watched in awe as his children were brought into the world, one at a time. He gently held Akane's hand, telling her how much he loved her as they saw their children for the first time. They had two females, and one male ralts. They named the girls Hatsumi and Ryoku, while they named the boy Sakashi. Seigai spent the next few weeks getting to know his children, making sure to be a part of the first weeks of their lives. He was glad to have Satoshi and Kasumi there; he knew nothing of caring for a human baby, let along a ralts, and he had three.

After the three weeks of being woken up at random intervals throughout the night, Seigai returned to the lab. It was there another surprise awaited him.

"Ah, Seigai, I'm glad your back today," spoke Kenji, as he greeted the group of scientists as they entered the lab. There was quite the collection of body parts kept in storage in clear cases to their left. The limbs generated during major milestones in the project were kept there.

"Did I miss anything of importance in my absence?" asked Seigai.

"Just continuing on with making varying limbs and organs. We've been attempting to get clearance for human experimentation," spoke Teruko.

"It's been the hardest part of this project to date," spoke Masayoshi.

"Indeed. I shall have the way cleared for you soon, after we have worked out my contribution to this project," spoke Kenji.

"You're finally going to share with us what you've been working on for the past year? My, I did indeed pick a good day to return," spoke Seigai.

"How's being a dad?" asked Teruko.

"Tiring..." Seigai, with a dead-pan look on his face.

"Oh," replied Teruko.

"Well, as much as I would love to hear more about what it's like raising ralts triplets, I have something important to share with you all. If you'll look at your terminals, you'll see the results of my research," spoke Kenji.

Everyone looked at their screens, and Kenji's work appeared before them. Masayoshi could only stare on in disbelief. Teruko was stunned. Seigai's jaw nearly dropped.

"How did you come up with this?" asked Seigai, "There's no way you could have come up with this on your own."

"Oh, I've been actively reviewing all of your data on all your experiments. I haven't ignored them. The work with the venusaur was the final key to this lock. As you can see, what started out as my curiosity has evolved into this," spoke Kenji.

"But this... fusing pokemon parts to humans. What possible benefit could that have? There's no medical need for such a thing. In fact, this could be grossly abused, even perverted into something dreadful. Not quite the vision I had in mind," spoke Seigai.

"I'm inclined to agree with Seigai on this one. There are lines not to be crossed. We were working to put an end to tragedies, but this... this could lead to quite the nightmare," spoke Masayoshi.

"I hold the same view. This is just going too far," spoke Teruko.

"But think about it? Do you know what this means? We could make soldiers that know recover. Make police officers that could restrain thieves with psychic bursts. Make firefighters capable of withstanding the hottest infernos. This will help people as much, if not more, than your original project.

"I don't doubt it, on some points. Firefighters and police officers are important positions in this world, and helping them out would indeed save lives. It's your first example that makes this a nightmare," spoke Seigai.

"This would be a disaster in the hands of the military, and there's no doubt in my mind that such a use would ultimately befall such research. I can't work on something like this," spoke Masayoshi.

"I wanted to save lives, not end them. Making military monsters with this research... I can't let something like that happen. I refuse to work on this. I'll continue work on our current project, but I can't do something like this," spoke Teruko.

"That's our consensus, then. We refuse to work on this project, Kenji. I'm sorry, but I refuse to allow the creation of a weapon occur under my watch," replied Seigai.

Throughout the conversation, Kenji's anger had been steadily rising. He had devoted himself to this research for a year. He was not about to let those working under him tell him what he could and could not do.

"Don't you fools understand! You'd be rich beyond your wildest dreams! Think of the possibilities here! Don't turn away from making history!" shouted Kenji.

"I refuse to profit from the suffering of others. If you want this, then you're free to do as you wish. We won't stop you. This is your facility, after all, but leave us out of it," spoke Seigai.

"I can't complete this on my own, especially without you, Seigai. You are the only expert on human medicine here. It is critical to this project that I have you participate!" shouted Kenji.

"No, and that's my final answer," spoke Seigai.

"That goes for all of us," spoke Masayoshi.

"I would much rather quit then make something like that a reality," replied Teruko.

"Don't bother! You're all fired! Shin!" shouted Kenji, as he pounded on the nearest com-panel.

"What is it, sir?" asked Shin.

"Get these miserable beings out of my sight at once!" shouted Kenji.

"As you wish," replied Shin.

"And clear their security clearance once they leave. I never want to lay eyes on them again!" shouted Kenji, as he looked at the group of three before him, "Now go!"

"Shouting is hardly necessary," spoke Masayoshi, as he walked out of the lab.

"It's not becoming of a man of your intelligence," spoke Teruko.

"I'm sorry, Kenji, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I only hope your work is only used for noble intentions," spoke Seigai.

"I'll show you noble! Now go!" shouted Kenji, after slamming his hand on the com-panel. He began shouting obscenities at it after hurting his hand. The group found Shin waiting in the elevator, waiting to escort them out of the building.

"Well, it seems I won't have the pleasure of your company anymore," spoke Shin.

"So it would seem," spoke Masayoshi.

"Indeed," spoke Seigai.

"What a shame," replied Teruko.

The three departed, leaving Shin behind, continuing to walk away.

"Well, we could always find someone else willing to fund our research. I doubt we'll be turned away, especially now that we're at the phase we're in," spoke Masayoshi.

"I know that much, that's why I didn't have a problem walking out on him. The nerve of him using our research to make something like that, and without even telling us about it!" shouted Teruko.

"Easy, I'm sure he had reason for doing that," spoke Seigai.

"He had reason, alright. He didn't want us to know. If you knew from the start, you'd have quit in disgust right then and there, right? Don't tell me you wouldn't!" shouted Teruko.

"I would have quit, that much is true," spoke Seigai.

"As would have I," spoke Masayoshi.

"So, where should be go for support?" asked Teruko.

"Let's not worry about that now. I think we should clear our minds first. Truthfully, I'm so upset right now, I don't wish to think about this place for the rest of the day. We'll start looking tomorrow. We can meet up at my house. I have all our data backed up there," replied Seigai.

"Works for me," spoke Teruko.

"I don't mind the wait," spoke Masayoshi.

"Then until tomorrow," spoke Seigai, as the group split up, each making their way for their homes.

Seigai was glad to see his family upon returning home. He explained to everyone why he was home early, and what led up to what had taken place. Why Akane was a little upset with what was happening to the very project that had brought them together, Seigai explained that they could always continue with a different backer. He said the group would being looking the next day, and that he wished to spend his day with his family.

Over the next week, Seigai, Teruko, and Masayoshi did their best to look for a new financial supporter. They had one maybe in a sea of no's. They didn't allow themselves to be discouraged, though, as they had yet to contact every wealthy businessman in Okadamashi. Even then, there were plenty of other cities to look, though Okadamashi by far was where the wealthiest lived. As the group was about to make another call, Seigai's phone rang.

"I wonder who this could be?" asked Seigai, as he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" asked Seigai.

"Seigai, this is Kenji. I would like to formally apologize for my actions last week. I should not have used your research in a way that disagreed with your views. If you are willing, I will be more than happy to give you and your colleagues your jobs back. I will keep my research to myself, and not pressure any of you to help. I will also cease using your work without your set permission," spoke Kenji.

"Are you sure about this? I don't mind, and I'm sure my colleagues will approve. You are okay with us not helping you?" asked Seigai.

"I am. I wish to have a meeting with each of you tomorrow, here in the lab, discussing the terms of your continued work here," replied Kenji.

"Very well, Kenji," spoke Seigai, "I will see you tomorrow."

Seigai hung up the phone, and looked to his colleagues. He informed them of the meeting the next day. Masayoshi didn't have a problem at all. Teruko was a little more skeptical, but agreed to it, if only for Masayoshi and Seigai. With that, Masayoshi and Teruko returned to their homes in Okadamashi, while Seigai went to break the news to Akane. She was more than excited to hear Seigai would get his job back, resulting in the pair sharing a hug. Both were quite excited. He picked up each of his children, and kissed them on the cheek with excitement.

The next morning, Seigai was about to depart when his wife asked to join him.

"You want to come with me?" asked Seigai.

"I would like to just have a day to myself. My parents offered to look after the children today. I would like to go about Okadamashi, just to see what all is in the city. I've never really walked through it before," replied Akane.

"I don't know... I don't mind you having your day, just worried about your safety in the city," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, don't worry about me," replied Akane, "If I ran into trouble, somehow, I could use teleport. I didn't plan on going down any back alleys alone, I just want to look at all the fun shops on the other side of the business district, then take a nice, peaceful walk around the lake."

"Okay, but on one condition," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, what would that be?" asked Akane.

"That you let me join you at the lake at sunset, just like our first date there," answered Seigai with a smile.

"My my, that may be difficult. I'm not sure I can do it," spoke Akane.

"Ha ha, I love that playful attitude of yours. It always comes at just the right time. Now I'm less tense about the meeting. Well, hop on!" shouted Seigai.

"I didn't say yes yet," replied Akane, as she held onto Seigai's back.

"Oh, I know you'll be there waiting for me," replied Seigai.

"You're right, I will," spoke Akane.

"Not to mention it's been forever since we last had a nice ride together. Hopefully we can take the kids with us one of these days," spoke Seigai.

"I hope so," replied Akane, as she embraced her husband and gave him a quick kiss. The two took off towards the city, enjoying the pleasant spring breeze that was blowing. As the two made it out of the forest, they saw someone familiar waiting in the field beyond. Seigai was surprised, but decided to greet him. Akane, for some reason felt very uncomfortable.

"I don't like that man," spoke Akane.

"It's just Shin. Perhaps he's here to escort us, make sure nothing happens," spoke Seigai.

"I hope you're right," replied Akane.

"Ah, Shin, what brings you out here so close to Hayashi?" asked Seigai.

"Oh, just some business to attend to," replied Shin.

"Involving us?" asked Seigai.

"Why, yes, indeed, yes indeed," spoke Shin, his voice becoming darker as he continued to speak. His manner of speech was making Seigai nervous.

"So, you're here to escort us, right?" asked Akane.

"Yes, I am here to escort you... straight into the afterlife!" shouted Shin.

"What are you talking about?" asked Seigai, as he backed away from the crazed security guard.

"I've been ordered to carry out your execution. I was only sent to kill you. Never imagined I'd get another chance to kill that gardevoir, too!" shouted Shin.

"Another chance... it was you!" shouted Akane, "You were the one who cut off my arm!"

Akane started to back behind Seigai. Seigai was ready to mount his bike and go.

"Why, yes, it was me. I was asked to test out a new laser. A nice, high energy model. Worked just fine, though the aim is a little off. I was pointing it at your head! Well, I suppose all's well that ends well. That procedure was valuable to my boss's research," spoke Shin.

"You boss... you mean... Kenji?" asked Seigai.

"That's Dr. Den to you, fool. You should have helped him, Seigai. Now, you're just an obstacle. Can't let you carry on your project with someone else, now. That would make things difficult for us," spoke Shin.

"I think I've heard enough of this. Akane! Take us to a police station, and quick!" shouted Seigai.

"Now now now, can't have you teleport out of here like that. It's now or never! Umbreon! Dark Pulse!" shouted Shin.

"What, there's no..." spoke Seigai.

"They're under us!" shouted Akane, as she could feel the dark energy building. It was too quick for her to teleport Seigai and herself to safety. The pair screamed out in pain as the dark attack washed over them. It came from six different points a once, knocking both of them on the ground in pain.

"It feels like my head is going to explode..." muttered Seigai.

"Seigai... hold on... I can still get us out of here..." muttered Akane.

"Oh no you don't! Golem! Rock Tomb!" shouted Shin.

Before Seigai and Akane could react, six Umbreon leaped out of the ground, followed by six Golem. Each Golem held several boulders, and hurled them at Seigai and Akane. Seigai did his best to shield Akane as the rain of boulders came down on the pair. The last thing Seigai heard before the crashing of boulders was the evil laugh from Shin. As the boulders hit, Seigai could only scream out in pain as he felt his limbs crushed by the massive boulders. Seigai felt himself thrown back, off of Akane as one boulder kicked him back, ripping out his right arm. He head slammed against one rock, destroying his left ear and eye. He was twisted violently as another builder smashed his legs, while another crushed his left arm, pulling him against another boulder as the tomb was formed. Seigai watched with horror as a spear of rock hit Akane, resulting from a pair of boulders splitting after cleaving one another. A barely audible scream could be heard to the ear, but Seigai's head was about to pop from hearing Akane's telepathic shouts of pain. The boulders finally settled down, ending the chaos. Shin looked on at the mess before him. He could see a bloodied arm wedged between a pair of boulders. He pulled out a lighter and started to burn it, hoping to hear a scream of pain from inside.

"Oh, too bad. He must already be dead. Good riddance. A human marrying a pokemon... what an abomination. A shame I can't kill his family. At least not yet. Once everything calms down, I might just do them for free!" shouted Shin, as he cackled with glee. He recalled his small army of pokemon, and took off on a motorcycle with the same black, red lined panels his body armor had.

Seigai looked on at his wife. The pain running through his body had long subsided. He didn't care in the slightest, though. He was focused on his wife, spitting up blood from the spear stuck in her. She used what little power she had left to free herself from the from the ground, and attempted to approach her husband.

"Sei... Seigai... hold on... I'll get us out of here..." stuttered Akane, while coughing up more blood. She continued to crawl in spite of that.

"A-Akane," spoke Seigai. He was crushed in a way that kept him from losing too much blood, but he knew he was in serious trouble. Still, he only cared about Akane. Even in the dimly lit chamber of boulders, he could see her severe injury. Her heart was pierced; she wouldn't survive if not treated right away.

"Seigai... my love..." spoke Akane, as she was finally within reach of Seigai.

"Please... don't struggle... you'll only wear yourself out..." spoke Seigai.

"Seigai... I can see it... please... don't make it worse," spoke Akane, with tears in her eyes. She knew her fate had been sealed, but she saw her husband still had a chance.

"S-seigai... I love you... I always will... even in death... I'll always be near..." spoke Akane, as she pulled herself up enough to touch Seigai.

"Dear... I'm glad... glad to have been with you... if only for a short time..." spoke Akane, trying her best to smile as she held onto to husband.

"Goodbye... dear..." spoke Akane. Seigai felt an odd sensation. He struggled the turn his head to see Akane, but he couldn't.

"Akane... Akane... say something... anything... use telepathy if you have to... Akane..." spoke Seigai, as he felt her hand fall from him. He could see her now, he could see her clearly, and he knew, from the lifeless expression on her face that her life had ended.

"Akane... no..." muttered Seigai, as he kept looking at his wife.

"Akane!" shouted Seigai at the top of his lungs, tears pouring out of his remaining eye. It was all he could do in the silence of the of the tomb.

At Seigai's house, Satoshi and Kasumi fell to the ground suddenly, feeling something unpleasant.

"What... what was that?" asked Satoshi.

"Something has happened to Akane! Something terrible!" shouted Kasumi.

Satoshi wanted to deny it, saying it was just a bad feeling, but he couldn't deny something to her he had felt himself.

"I'll go to Okadamashi, dear. And then I'll teleport right back, and you'll see that it was just a little paranoia," spoke Satoshi, as he ran out of the house. He used his psychic powers to float rapidly across the village, then into the forest. Satoshi continued on until he found an odd pile of boulders in a field just past the end of the forest.

"What is this?" asked Satoshi, "This wasn't here before."

As Satoshi continued to study the odd rock formation, he saw something that shook him to his core. It was a human hand, a burnt, human hand. What caught his attention was the wedding band adorning it.

"Oh no..." muttered Satoshi, as he started to use his powers of telekinesis to lift the boulders. He found they were too heavy for him alone. In a flash he was back at the house.

"Dear?" asked Kasumi.

"Kasumi! Quickly!" shouted Satoshi, as took Kasumi with him. He was thankful the children were sleeping at the time. When Satoshi pointed out the pile of boulders and the hand, Kasumi felt the same dread as her husband.

"Help me," spoke Satoshi, as he tried lifting the boulders again.

Kasumi said nothing else as she helped him. They found it was not the weight, but how packed in the boulders were. They continued the struggle to pull the boulders away, careful not to collapse the structure. Once they opened up a hole, Satoshi raced up to the hole. He almost vomited the sight, but pressed on.

"Help her..." muttered Seigai, "Help her..."

Satoshi looked on in grief. He heard his wife shriek behind him, signaling her presence.

"Kasumi, take Akane to the Pokemon Center... I'll take Seigai to the hospital," spoke Satoshi.

Kasumi nodded as she picked up her daughter's body, and teleported into Okadamashi.

"Hold on Seigai, I'll have you out of here in a moment," spoke Satoshi, as he put his hand on Seigai, and pulled him out. In a flash, they appeared in the hospital. Shocked personnel could only stare at the bloodied body.

"What are you staring at! Help him!" shouted the gardevoir.

The nearest attendant called in a medical team to take Seigai into the intensive care unit right away, where he would spend the next month in bandages, following the removal of what was left of his legs and arms.

At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy did her best to hold back her tears. Less than a month ago, she had delivered this gardevoir's children. Now, she was writing up her death certificate. She didn't know what to tell Kasumi, but she knew she had to say it. She took Kasumi aside, and told her the news. Kasumi's screaming cry could be heard throughout most of the Pokemon Center.

Both Kasumi and Satoshi knew there was nothing else to be done. They returned to their home to try and sort things out. They attempted to call Seigai's colleagues, but were unable to get a hold of them, no matter what they tried. They would later found out they were found burnt to death in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Okadamashi. The pair were ready to spend the day crying when they heard the cries of the children. They went to check on them, only to discover another horror. Sakashi and Hatsumi were crying loudly, but Ryoku was no where to be found.

"Not my grandchild!" shouted Kasumi.

"Please, calm down, dear. I'll go find her, okay, so don't fret. I can't mourn properly knowing one of our dear children is missing," spoke Satoshi, while holding back his tears. He did a search of the house, finding no sign of the ralts. Satoshi began to panic further, searching the surrounding area. He found no sign of Ryoku near the woods. At that point, he saw a small trail of footprints. He quickly followed the trail, wondering where Ryoku could have wandered off to. The weather was not on his side, though. A storm came, bringing with it pouring rains. They quickly washed away any trace of the path Ryoku had taken.

"Ryoku!" shouted Satoshi, as he ran throughout the village.

"Ryoku!" shouted Satoshi again. He asked everyone he saw if they had seen a ralts aimlessly wandering the village. He knew she was still a baby, not even able to talk yet. He continued his search, but was forced to end it as the winds and rain began to pick up. With a heavy heart, he returned to his home. When he saw Kasumi on the floor crying, he could only join her in her sorrow. Their grandchild was missing, their daughter had passed on, and their son in law was in the hospital, stuck in some kind of coma from the shock of his injuries. Satoshi could tell from the look on Seigai's face when he saw him in that boulder prison that Seigai knew. It was no surprise he faded from consciousness when it finally caught up to him. Satoshi and Kasumi spent the rest of the day mourning, while doing their best to care for the other two children, making sure nothing happened to them.

In another part of town, just as the thunderstorm had been beginning, a lone ralts walked the streets. As the thunder approached, the ralts was scared by the loud sounds, but she didn't know what to do. She saw a house not too far from her. She saw an open window and found her way inside. In the room, there was a cradle with a baby, looking around at the room for the sound of the noise that disturbed him from his sleep. The baby saw the ralts as she crawled up the cradle, and next to the baby. The young boy giggled at the ralts, prompting the ralts to do the same. After laughing at one another, they cuddled up together, and fell asleep. Ryoku did not know why, but she felt completely at peace while curled up next to the baby boy beside her.

_A/N: I know I've been MIA for a while now, but after reading the Village Guardian series by Dr. Mack Foxx (a must read for all gardevoir fans), I found the inspiration to write this fic. Hopefully my working on this fic will inspire me to work on my other fics. I hope you enjoyed this opening chapter, and please review._


	2. Pain and Innocence

_Disclaimer: I don't now, nor have I ever, and likely never will own pokemon_

**Chapter 2 – Pain and Innocence**

"Where am I?" asked Seigai, only to hear his voice echo before him. He found himself in a white void. The floating sensation made him feel uneasy.

"Is there anyone there?" asked Seigai.

Nothing was his answer.

"_Am I dead?"_ thought Seigai, as he began to hear a faint voice emerge from the void.

"Hello! Is there someone there?" shouted Seigai, as the voice he heard got louder.

"Seigai," spoke the voice. It was clearly speaking his name. As the voice became louder, Seigai quickly recognized it.

"Akane!" shouted Seigai.

"Seigai," spoke Akane, as a spectral form appeared before Seigai. At first, it was only a bright light, brighter than the rest of the void. Before long, the light began to take a form. As it continued to condense, the form of Akane emerged before Seigai.

"Dear," spoke Akane.

"Akane... is this a dream?" asked Seigai.

"Yes and no. You're not awake, but this is indeed real," replied Akane.

"So then... what happened, was that real, or just a horrible nightmare?" asked Seigai.

"No, it was real," replied Akane, sounding depressed at reflecting upon what had taken place.

"I see," spoke Seigai, as tears formed in his eyes.

"I don't have much time. In the outside world, time is passing by rather quickly, and there are some things you need to see," spoke Akane.

"Things I need to see?" asked Seigai.

"I need to show you part of your future. I believe these events won't happen without some clues being imparted to you. This is what I saw as I was dying, Seigai. I hope you are able to make these visions into reality," explained Akane.

"Do I want to?" asked Seigai.

"Yes, I believe you do," spoke Akane.

"What will happen after you show me these visions?" asked Seigai, "Will you disappear?"

"I can't say for sure; I can't really describe it in words, so I'll simply remind you of one fact: I shall love you now and always," spoke Akane, as she reached for Seigai, and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I don't understand... but I'm sure understanding will come later," spoke Seigai, with a smile.

"Thank you, Seigai, for everything. Now then, to show you what the future will hold," spoke Akane.

The void around Seigai and Akane began to change. Seigai could feel himself standing on solid ground. It was then he became aware his body was still whole, but he didn't wish to interrupt Akane to ask what it all meant. He focused on the objects that appeared before him. Soon, his family appeared, one by one. He watched as events that had yet to occur were laid out before him.

Satoshi looked at the bed with Seigai in place. He could only frown at the state his son in law was in. To have lost his limbs was one thing, but to even have his face forever scarred in addition was too much. In his mind, it was a miracle that they were even able to keep him alive at all. It had been a few days since the incident had taken place. Satoshi had spent all his time looking for Ryoku, but to no avail. It appeared as though the young ralts had disappeared without a trace. Furthermore, none of the villagers had seen her. Satoshi frowned further at the thought. He didn't want Seigai to wake up, and have to hear the news that his daughter was also missing. It was already enough that he had lost his wife, as well as the freedom to take care of himself. He was worried Seigai's broken mental state would prevent him from ever awakening. Still, he decided to remain by his side, in case he finally did wake up. Kasumi was looking after the children, being careful not to take her eyes off of them. She was also trying her best to stay level headed enough to properly prepare the funeral arrangements for Akane. As much as she just wanted to cry after losing her daughter so soon after she was allowed to be a part of her life again, she had to remain strong for the children, her husband, and soon her son in law. Satoshi continued to watch Seigai. Every now and then, he would stir, almost looking as though he may finally wake, but each time, he would stop moving, and silence would fill the air once again. At that point, he heard a knock on the door.

"May I come in?" asked a male voice.

"Who are you?" asked Satoshi.

"I am his employer, Dr. Den. I believe we met at your daughter's wedding," spoke the man.

"Oh, Kenji, you may enter," replied Satoshi.

Kenji gently opened the door, looking at the crippled Seigai in the bed.

"Unbelievable. I can't believe this has happened again. It seems as though someone has been carrying a grudge against him and his colleagues," spoke Kenji.

"His colleagues? I've been meaning to ask, but do you know where they are? I've been trying to contact them for the past few days, but they haven't answered their phones.

"I know where they are. They were found by the police yesterday, in an abandoned warehouse. It appeared as though they were burned to death. The police are looking into it, but it appears to be the work of the man who killed Koshio Toyo last year," replied Kenji.

"How horrible..." spoke Satoshi.

"Before he slipped into his current state, did he say anything to you about who did this to him?" asked Kenji.

"No, he didn't. As far as I could tell, he was already slipping. He had seen his wife killed right in front of him; it's no surprise his mind closed. I can't even read his thoughts; it's almost as if he were dead, too," replied Satoshi, a visible frown on his face.

"I see. I would find it strange if these two incidents weren't linked in some manner. He didn't have any burns, though, did he?" asked Kenji.

"One of his hands was burned, but the burned area was too small, and even then the injury was not that extensive. From where he was burned, it seemed to have happened after he was trapped in those boulders," explained Satoshi.

"I see. There's no doubt this was done by two different people. The police have already started their investigation; I'll let you know if anything turns up," replied Kenji.

"Thank you," replied Satoshi.

Kenji nodded in response, then took his leave. Shin was waiting for him out in the corridor.

"It's unlike you not to complete a mission," spoke Kenji.

"He seemed dead to me. He didn't even scream when I burnt that hand of his," spoke Shin.

"His arm was severed at the time, you fool!" shouted Kenji.

"Oh, so that's why. Well, I suppose I should have checked then. I did want to hear that gardevoir scream some more before she died," replied Shin.

"This makes things very difficult for us," spoke Kenji.

"Did he tell anyone?" asked Shin.

"He was already comatose when he was found, fortunately for you. He's been unable to say anything to anyone. The gardevoir in there says he can't even read his mind for any information," replied Kenji.

"Oh, that is good news," spoke Shin.

"Is it? That could change at any time. For us, he's a ticking time bomb," replied Kenji.

"Shall I kill him now, then?" asked Shin.

"Kill him now? Oh, splendid idea. Fool! If it was that easy, I'd have done it myself!" shouted Kenji.

"Easy, there are other people here. Don't be so loud," spoke Shin.

"The security here is high. Nothing we couldn't handle, but we would almost certainly expose ourselves. The last thing I need is that kind of popularity," replied Kenji.

"So what do we do?" asked Shin.

"I'm trying to find out what kind of deals I'd have to make to bribe the staff here. Whether I can get them to kill him or simply have them ignore an assassin, I'm not sure, but the people here certainly have a price. It will take time, though. A mistake in the process would expose us for sure. All we can do right now is wait," replied Kenji.

"And what if he wakes up?" asked Shin.

"Kill him and anyone he speaks to. I'll fabricate some kind of story later," spoke Kenji.

"Ho ho, I like this plan," spoke Shin.

"And do it quietly, should it become necessary. No torture," replied Kenji.

"What? No torture? Now that takes all of the fun out of it," spoke Shin.

"You had your chance to do it the 'fun' way. Now you'll do it my way. Keep an eye on him for now," spoke Kenji.

"What about that gardevoir?" asked Shin.

"Kill him, too, but only if it's absolutely necessary. Make it look like it went down trying to protect its master," replied Kenji.

"I probably won't have to do much to make it look like that. Shall I use fire-types this time?" asked Shin.

"No, use dark-types. Don't take any chances with that psychic-type," replied Kenji.

"I do have a couple of houndour," spoke Shin.

"Fire is too flashy for this; use your umbreon," replied Kenji.

"Fine, stealth assassination with umbreon it is," spoke Shin, disappointment evident in his voice.

"I should mention that you won't want to fail me this time. You'll find yourself burned to a cinder if you do, and I'll make sure they don't leave a body behind to be found," replied Kenji.

"Very well, I'll make sure it is taken care of," spoke Shin, "Now, what about his family?"

"Leave them be for now. I can't think of any good reason to have them killed, and deaths without good reason could cause trouble," replied Kenji.

"Are you sure? They may learn something," spoke Shin.

"Learn what? That gardevoir told me he couldn't read Seigai's mind. They consider me one of his friends; they would not lie to me on the point. And besides that, I can tell when a pokemon is lying. He was being honest with me. There is no way anyone in his family could learn the truth of the incident. It's not about that, though, is it?" asked Kenji.

"What do you mean?" asked Shin.

"You just want to have someone to torture, don't you?" asked Kenji.

"Perhaps. I thoroughly enjoyed the screams of agony that gardevoir made when I hit her with that laser. Made up for when I missed her head," replied Shin, "Not to mention those kids of his are abominations."

"You will not harm anyone in his family, unless they are interfering with your mission or our interests, and I'll decide what actions constitute both. Should you harm any of them against my orders, I'll not only have you burned to death, but I'll ask them to make it as slow and painful as possible," spoke Kenji.

"I understand," replied Shin.

"Good. See to it that you don't do anything foolish," spoke Kenji.

The pair left the hospital, and returned to the Union Corporation building. Kenji was hoping to continue developing his pokemon hybrid research. He believed he would be ready for tests within the next couple of months.

In Hayashi, Ryoku was looking at the baby boy next to her. For the past few days, Ryoku had been staying at the small boy's side while he slept. Whenever she sensed someone approaching, she would find somewhere to hide herself. As she was still fairly young, she was not able to properly communicate with anyone. She felt it would be best not to get caught by others. After a week had passed, she wanted to make her way back to her home. She was tired of eating random things she found lying around. The last berry plant she had eaten from had made her feel ill. She was careful not to act this way around the baby, though. As Ryoku attempted to leave, she started feeling worse, and ended up passing out in the middle of the floor.

A few hours later, the child's parents entered the room. At first, they didn't notice Ryoku, who was still passed out on the floor. They entered when they heard their child crying. They couldn't figure out what was wrong. He kept looking at something, while crying loudly. His parents checked his diaper, even tried to feed him, but nothing seemed to be working.

"Mizuho, what do you think is wrong with Aomine today?" asked the boy's father.

"I don't know, Muzo," replied the boy's mother.

"He keeps looking at the floor... oh my, how did that get in here?" asked Muzo.

"What are you talking about... oh," replied Mizuho. The couple finally saw Ryoku passed out on the floor. Muzo looked over the ralts. He noticed she wasn't moving. He then placed a hand on her.

"This pokemon appears to be ill," spoke Muzo.

"Should we take it to the Pokemon Center?" asked Mizuho.

"That would be the proper thing to do," replied Muzo, as he prepared his car.

"There, there, we won't let that little pokemon hurt you," spoke Mizuho.

Muzo returned, and carried Ryoku out of the room. Instead of calming down Aomine, however, it only made the child scream louder.

"Goodness, what is it?" asked Mizuho. It quickly dawned on her that her child was worried about the ralts.

"Are you worried about that little pokemon?" asked Mizuho.

Aomine continued to cry out. Mizuho decided to take Aomine to the family car. Muzo was just about to pull out of the driveway.

"Dear, I think we should go with you," spoke Mizuho.

"Don't worry, it won't be long," replied Muzo.

"No, it's not that. Aomine appears to be crying because of his concern for this pokemon," spoke Mizuho.

"Are you sure?" asked Muzo.

"He started screaming rather loudly once you took it out of the room. Hear him now? He's calmed down a little," explained Mizuho.

"Okay then, I guess we'll just have to go together," replied Muzo, as he walked around to where the baby seat was in the back of the car. He made sure the pokemon had plenty of space before setting his son in the seat. Aomine had now calmed down, though it was obvious he was still a little upset.

"It's okay, we'll have your little friend feeling better soon," spoke Mizuho in a calming voice. Aomine remained quiet. The child turned to look at his new found friend. The child's attention was on Ryoku for all of the ride to the Pokemon Center. Muzo gently took the ralts out of the car seat, and made his way into the Pokemon Center.

"May I help you?" asked Nurse Joy.

"This little one here appears to be ill. I found it lying in my son's bedroom, unconscious," replied Muzo.

"I'll take care of it right away," spoke Nurse Joy, as she took Ryoku.

Aomine started to cry again upon seeing the ralts taken away again.

"It's okay, Nurse Joy is going to help, don't worry, Aomine," spoke Mizuho.

Aomine's crying calmed a little, though it was obvious he was still very upset.

A half hour passed before Nurse Joy returned with a sleeping ralts in her hand.

"How is it?" asked Muzo.

"This ralts is okay, now. It appears she ate something from a poisonous plant. It was easy enough to remove the poison and give her an antidote. She's sleeping peacefully now," replied Nurse Joy.

"So this creature is called a ralts. I've never seen one before," spoke Muzo.

"They aren't native to this area. Where did you find her?" asked Nurse Joy.

"She was just in my house. I don't know how she got there. She may have been in our house before, since our son seems to be attached to her," spoke Mizuho.

"I see. I heard a couple was looking for a missing ralts. This may be her," replied Nurse Joy.

"So she belongs to someone?" asked Muzo.

"Her grandparents," replied Nurse Joy.

"Oh... wait, her grandparents were looking? How did you know?" asked Muzo.

"I'll inform them. You'll understand when you see them," replied Nurse Joy, as she handed the ralts to Muzo.

In response, Ryoku curled up on Muzo's lab, appearing to feel comfortable with where she was.

Nurse Joy called Seigai's house, getting the attention of Kasumi. She was overjoyed at the news, gathered her other children, and arrived at the Pokemon Center after teleporting in.

"My grandchild!" shouted Kasumi, as she ran over, and hugged the sleeping ralts.

"Are you the ones who brought her in?" asked Kasumi.

Mizuho and Muzo were stunned. This was the first time they had seen a gardevoir, let alone one capable of talking to humans. They were too stunned to even nod their heads. Aomine was giggling at the sight of another friendly looking pokemon.

"She had gotten into their house somehow, had been hiding in their son's room. They didn't notice her until they found her passed out from eating poisoned berries. She's just fine now, and merely resting," explained Nurse Joy.

"Oh, thank you so much for helping my grandchild!" shouted Kasumi, as she hugged the two adults before her. Aomine giggled again.

"Don't mention it?" spoke Muzo.

"Y-yes, um, it was no problem at all," spoke Mizuho.

Kasumi let go of the couple. She was confused for a moment at the strange actions of the couple, before she finally realized what the issue was.

"You've never met one of us before, have you?" asked Kasumi

"No," replied Muzo.

"Neither have I," replied Mizuho.

"We're known as psychic-types; this grants us, amongst other abilities, the potential to learn how to properly interact with humans," explained Kasumi, "As I had spent much time under a trainer, I have since learned how to talk with humans."

"That helps a little," spoke Mizuho.

"It seems the little one likes me," spoke Kasumi, with a smile.

"He seems to like your grandchild quite a bit," spoke Mizuho.

"Oh? Ryoku, did you make a friend?" asked Kasumi, while looking at the sleeping ralts.

"He was crying when he thought his friend was in trouble. Little guy was really worried," spoke Muzo.

"Is that so? You did a good job, little one. You helped protect my granddaughter," spoke Kasumi. Aomine giggled. At that point, Ryoku finally awoke.

"Ra ra..." muttered Ryoku.

"Oh, seems she's awake," spoke Mizuho.

"Alts?" asked Ryoku. She recognized she was with her grandmother, but she couldn't figure out who the adults in front of her were, and backed up as a result.

"Oh dear, she's just being a little shy," spoke Kasumi, as she turned to face Ryoku, "It's okay, they won't hurt you. They brought you here to be healed. They're good people."

Aomine giggled again, catching the attention of Ryoku. She stepped away from Kasumi, and walked over to the smiling baby.

"Oh, you want to say hi to Aomine?" asked Mizuho, as she held Aomine close to Ryoku.

"Alts al... al... al!" shouted Ryoku, while smiling at Aomine.

"What is she saying?" asked Mizuho.

"She's still a baby; it'll be a little while before she actually speaks actual words. Seems like she's trying to say your son's name.

"Al!" shouted Ryoku, as she looked at the smiling child in front of her.

"Ao?" asked Muzo, "Not a bad nickname for Aomine. It'll make for a good story when we tell him how he got his nickname later on."

"Al!" shouted Ryoku, before she started giggling.

"Looks like these two might just become the best of friends in the future," spoke Kasumi.

"Well, now that everything is settled, perhaps we should get ourselves home," spoke Mizuho.

"Yes, I do have to get up early for work tomorrow morning," replied Muzo, as he stood up from the bench he was sharing with his wife and child.

"We should get going to. I'm sure the little ones would like to get some sleep," spoke Kasumi, while looking at the three ralts and baby boy.

"We could take you home, if you'd like," spoke Mizuho.

"Oh, that's okay. I can easily teleport all four of us back to our home. Thank you for the offer. Come now, Ryoku, it's time to go home," spoke Kasumi, as she reached out for Ryoku. The ralts tried to walk back over to Aomine.

"Ra ra!" shouted Ryoku.

"You don't want to leave Aomine?" asked Kasumi.

"Ra ra alts!" shouted Ryoku.

"Well, perhaps a ride would be okay, so the little ones can spend just a little more time with one another," spoke Kasumi.

Mizuho smiled at the children as Muzo led the way to the car. The ride home was peaceful. Mizuho, Muzo, and Kasumi talked about their daily lives and how it was raising children. They laughed when Kasumi told the couple how her daughter and son in law were when they found they found Akane was pregnant with triplets. They laughed more when Kasumi told them her husband and her fainted from the excitement. When they asked about how Akane and Seigai felt about being parents, she grew silent. Muzo and Mizuho decided it would be best not to pry. Kasumi gave the couple directions to Seigai's home at the edge of Hayashi.

"Thank you for the ride," spoke Kasumi.

"Oh, it's no trouble," spoke Muzo.

"I hope we'll get a chance to talk again," spoke Mizuho.

"Say bye bye, children," spoke Kasumi.

"Ra-alts!" shouted the three children together.

"Bye!" spoke Mizuho, while smiling and waving. Aomine was giggling, feeling the happiness of those around him. The two families parted ways for the evening.

Upon entering the house, she noticed Satoshi was still not home. She concluded he may have fallen asleep while looking after Seigai, and decided to prepare herself to go to sleep.

Over the next few weeks, Mizuho, Muzo, and Aomine would come to visit the family. Satoshi said he didn't have a problem with them visiting. He mentioned it was nice to have others to talk to. Ryoku and Aomine were always playing and laughing with one another. Hatsumi and Sakashi would join in, though Aomine was much more comfortable with Ryoku. Even though the three children looked nearly identical, Aomine was able to tell Ryoku apart from the others. Ryoku was about an inch shorter than her siblings, while her hair was a little longer, reaching to just above her mouth. Sakashi was the tallest of the three, while Hatsumi had the shortest hair, almost high enough to reveal her eyes.

Satoshi continued to keep an eye on Seigai, as did Shin in secret. One day, Satoshi noticed Seigai twisting and turning quite violently. He was about to summon a doctor when Seigai finally awoke.

"Seigai?" asked Satoshi.

"Uh... my head... wait... my... my body..." muttered Seigai.

"I'm sorry, Seigai... they had to amputate what was left of your arms and legs... and your eye and ear were also destroyed," spoke Satoshi, in a sad tone.

"I know. I... had a vision. Akane showed me the future," spoke Seigai.

"Akane?" asked Satoshi.

"She must have done something... something right before she... she..." spoke Seigai. As he was saying that, it hit him that Akane was no longer with him, prompting tears to fall from his remaining eye.

"Seigai," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm sorry... if only I told her to stay home..." muttered Seigai.

"It's not your fault. How could you have known something like this was going to happen?" asked Satoshi.

"Something like this... it wasn't an accident, someone was sent to kill us!" shouted Seigai.

"What?" asked Satoshi.

"Sorry to interrupt!" shouted Shin, as he entered the room. He closed and locked the door.

"You!" shouted Seigai angrily. He wanted to get up and assault the man who had taken the life of his wife, but was quickly reminded he couldn't.

"What a shame. Return to the world only to be sent into the darkness. Pity. At least you gave me another gardevoir to kill! I love the way they scream when they die!" shouted Shin, as he released two of his pokeballs, bringing forth a pair of umbreon.

"Satoshi! Teleport! Now!" shouted Seigai.

Satoshi didn't question Seigai; Shin was uncomfortable enough, but the pair of umbreon sealed it. He quickly got a hold of Seigai, and prepared to take the two home.

"Not so fast! Dark pulse!" shouted Shin.

As the dark energy was unleashed upon Seigai and Satoshi, the pair left, leaving the dark energy to smash the medical equipment.

"Damn it all!" shouted Shin. Alarms started going off, prompting Shin to make a hasty departure before any of the hospital staff arrived. Kenji had yet to buy off the staff of the hospital. Even with the police force under Union control, Shin didn't want to take any chances.

In a flash, Satoshi and Seigai appeared in Seigai's home. Seigai hit the ground with a thud, having no way to right himself as he suddenly appeared in his house.

"Ouch..." muttered Seigai.

"Sorry, I was rushing," spoke Satoshi.

"Oh, Seigai!" shouted Kasumi, as she looked over her son in law.

"I'm... heh... okay..." muttered Seigai.

"They didn't give you a wheelchair or anything?" asked Kasumi.

"I don't have time to explain. We have to leave here, immediately," spoke Seigai.

"What do you mean?" asked Kasumi.

"Akane was murdered. Seems someone from Seigai's work is after him. That man tried to kill the two of us," replied Satoshi.

"Are you serious?" asked Kasumi.

"Quite, we have to get to somewhere safe. I'm sure they'll come here looking for us," spoke Seigai.

"We should call the police first," spoke Satoshi.

"No, we can't," spoke Seigai.

"Why not?" asked Satoshi.

"They control the police. I saw it in my vision. We can't trust them," replied Seigai.

"Very well, where should we go?" asked Kasumi.

"Well... what's the biggest thing you can teleport safely?" asked Seigai.

"The two of us could probably teleport something fairly large," replied Satoshi.

"What did you have in mind?' asked Kasumi.

In the Union building, Kenji was furious. He couldn't believe Shin had managed to fail him a second time.

"How could you allow him to escape again!" shouted Kenji.

"I didn't intend to. I didn't think that gardevoir would be so fast. That other gardevoir was so slow, and Seigai is no trainer. I assumed this gardevoir would have been slow, too," explained Shin.

"You assumed? You assumed! Did you learn anything while in the army!" shouted Kenji.

"I learned to predict the actions of my enemy based upon their previous strategies. I don't have that much to go on. He had left me with the impression that he was ill-prepared for someone to suddenly take his life. Based on this, I can only assume this gardevoir has been trained before. It quickly assessed my umbreon, and knew escape was the only smart choice," explained Shin.

"Okay, so tell me, where did they go?" asked Kenji.

"Likely to his house. At best, somewhere in Hayashi. I find it unlikely that he would choose to remain here in Okadamashi.

"Then go after him, and kill anyone he has spoken with. That cripple can't have gone far!" shouted Kenji.

"I have already sent a squad after him, sir. I will not allow him to escape again. They should be at the target's house within the next few minutes," replied Shin.

"Oh? Didn't want to kill them yourself?" asked Kenji.

"Business before pleasure, sir," replied Shin. The man actually did want to kill Seigai and his family, but knew it would be wise to send someone else right away, rather than risk failing again.

"Well, at least you've done something right," spoke Kenji.

"I do not tolerate failure from my subordinates, much less from myself, sir. I always have a backup plan, " replied Shin.

"Good, good," spoke Kenji.

Shin felt his radio vibrate, signaling him of an incoming transmission from one of his men.

"Ah, very good," spoke Shin, as he answered the call.

"Have you reached the targets home?" asked Shin.

"It's gone," spoke the man on the radio.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Shin.

"It's gone. The house, everything, it's gone," spoke the man.

"Are you sure you're in the right place!" shouted Shin.

"We are certain, sir. The address is an exact match. There is a hole here in the shape of a building, but there is no longer a building here. It's as though it vanished into thin air," spoke the man.

"Are you sure it's not just some kind of optical illusion? He is a scientist, he may have known a little more than just medicine, and he is known to work with psychic pokemon," spoke Shin.

"There's nothing here at all. We've already sent out our dark types to make sure of it., seeing as they wouldn't be affected by a psychic. Whatever was here before is gone now," replied the man.

"Search the area! Find them!" shouted Shin, as he switched off the radio.

"Shin!" shouted Kenji.

"This isn't possible. There's no way a building could just disappear!" shouted Shin, as he smashed his fist through a nearby table, before a look of calm returned to his face.

"What about the police. Surely they've contacted the police by now. There's no way they could know we control them," spoke Shin.

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot," spoke Kenji, as he called the Okadamashi Police Department.

"Ah, Dr. Den, what can we help you with this evening?" asked the officer at the other end of the line.

"Has there been anyone calling complaining about a member of my company attacking them?" asked Kenji.

"Not to my knowledge, please give me a moment to check," replied the officer, as he put Kenji on hold. Kenji frowned as he wait to receive a reply. After a few minutes, the officer picked up on his end.

"There have been no reports of Union Corporation employees attacking anyone. If there was, you would have been contacted immediately," replied the officer.

"Have you received any calls from a man known as Dr. Seigai Urufu?" asked Kenji.

"I'll check again," replied the officer, leaving Kenji to wait once again.

"No, sir, no complaints from anyone by that name or anyone with a similar name. There have been no complaints from anyone concerning your company, Dr. Den. Is there anything else I may help you with?" asked the officer.

"No, that is all," replied Kenji.

"Good evening, sir," spoke the officer, as he hung up his phone. Kenji slammed his phone in response.

"Nothing?" asked Shin.

"Nothing!" shouted Kenji.

"Calm down, sir, we'll find him. I'll have my men keep an ear open for news of his whereabouts. He's a cripple with no arms or legs, no to mention a missing eye and ear. He's not someone who could hide easily, and would be recognized quickly by anyone who saw him," spoke Shin.

"I hope so for your sake," spoke Kenji.

"If I may ask, sir, how is Project Union?" asked Shin.

"I've been doing much to overcome the hurdle in the form of my lack of understanding of human medicine. Fortunately, as luck would have it, I've been able to figure out most of what I would have needed Seigai for," spoke Kenji.

"How much longer do you think it will take?" asked Shin.

"A few more weeks should be all that is needed," replied Kenji.

"Very good. Should I have the pokemon you requested gathered, or would you prefer a test to be conducted first?" asked Shin.

"There is no need for a test. I will be Union's first experiment. I've been working on this for a long time, almost twenty years. I will not let someone else partake of the fruits of my labor before me," replied Kenji.

"Then I will have the pokemon you requested ready," spoke Shin.

"See to it, but keep in mind that getting rid of Seigai comes first. I do not need him causing me any trouble," spoke Kenji.

"I will take care of it," spoke Shin.

"Don't fail me again. It is only because of the excitement of my near completion of this project that I have not summoned the twins to burn you alive," replied Kenji, "now go, before I change my mind."

Shin wasted no time in leaving the lab. He did not wish to face the twins Kenji was speaking of.

In Seigai's house, the gardevoir couple of Satoshi and Kasumi were laying on the floor. Seigai asked them to move his house out into the middle of the woods. The couple was able to do it, but they were nearly exhausted from the amount of strength it took to complete the task.

"Sorry, it was the only thing I could come up with," spoke Seigai.

"It's okay... as long as we're safe," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm worried about the children," spoke Seigai.

"I see your concern, but what are we going to do?" asked Kasumi.

"We should find someone who is able to look after them," spoke Seigai, "They'll be in danger if they stay here with me. You two should go somewhere safe, too. I'll manage, somehow."

"Are you joking? You're an immobile log, and you don't even have any depth perception. How do you intend to take care of yourself?" asked Kasumi.

"Myself? I'm worried about the rest of you. I don't want to lose anymore of my family to these people," spoke Seigai.

"I'll stay with you, Seigai. I will avenge my daughter," spoke Satoshi.

"I'll remain, too," spoke Kasumi.

"Are you sure? I can't force either of you two to do this," replied Seigai.

"We'll find a way. We even know someone who can take care of the children for us," spoke Kasumi.

"Is that so? Who did you have in mind?" asked Seigai.

"While we were digging you out of that tomb, Ryoku wandered away from the house, made her way across town, and ended up in a baby's room," explained Kasumi.

"She ended up becoming friends with the baby, and was discovered after eating some berries that didn't agree with her," explained Satoshi.

"Hmm... what is the name of the baby?" asked Seigai.

"Aomine," spoke Satoshi.

"Their family name?" asked Seigai.

"Ookami," replied Kasumi.

"Aomine... Ookami... I see, perfect!" shouted Seigai.

"Hm?" asked Satoshi and Kasumi.

"Part of the visions I had... I saw Ryoku with a strange man. I didn't recognize this person at all, but then I had a vision of two characters, those that spell my name," explained Seigai, "I thought it strange to see my name, but I think it was his name. If I'm right, his name is spelled with the same characters as mine."

"Amazing," spoke Satoshi.

"Remarkable," spoke Kasumi.

"Well, that makes part of those visions a reality, as well as solves one problem. Now I have a few more to tend to. Satoshi, there should materials to build a suitable wheelchair. I'll need one for the time being. Kasumi, I guess we should contact Aomine's family.

"Okay, I have their phone number," spoke Kasumi.

"Uh... that won't help us," replied Seigai.

"Why not?" asked Kasumi.

"Unless you guys managed to pull all the cables and lines for the utilities with the house, we don't have any water, power, or the ability to use the phone," explained Seigai.

"Oh," spoke Kasumi.

"They're looking for me, not you. As long as you don't do anything suspicious, I don't think you'll have to fear bringing attention to yourself," spoke Seigai.

"Okay. I've been to their house before, so I can just teleport. It shouldn't be a problem," replied Kasumi.

"Ah, okay. Could you take me with you, after Satoshi has the wheelchair ready? I would like to be able to meet the ones who are likely going to be looking after my children for quite some time," spoke Seigai.

"Of course. Would you like to see the children?" asked Kasumi.

"Not until I have the wheelchair. I don't want them to see me like this, stuck on this floor with no way to move. It's going to be hard enough on them not being able to have Akane and me in their lives for some time..." spoke Seigai, starting to sound depressed.

"Are you okay?" asked Kasumi, as she walked over to Seigai. She gently sat him up, though she found it was difficult to keep him up without any limbs.

"I'll be okay. There's a lot for me to take in. I don't even know what day it is," spoke Seigai.

"It is the sixth of May," replied Kasumi.

"Sixth of May? I was out for a month?" asked Seigai.

"You have," replied Kasumi.

"Oh... it didn't seem like it was that long... only a few hours to me, probably more, since I was absorbed in the visions I was having," spoke Seigai.

"Can you tell us what all you saw?" asked Kasumi.

"Hmm... I... don't think I should. I still can't make sense of most of what I saw, though I have an idea of what some of the things meant. I believe they were mostly to serve as Akane telling me not to give up on life, despite everything that has taken place. It's so hard to believe that everything flipped upside down like this. One day, I'm a scientist working on a breakthrough project with two of the best minds I've ever had the privilege of working with, and I got to come home to a loving wife and three wonderful children. Now, my boss is trying to kill me while turning the research I was using to heal people into some kind of weapon. I have to stop them, somehow. I just can't let them get away with this," spoke Seigai.

"What are we going to do?" asked Kasumi.

"I have an idea of where we can start. First things first, though. I want to make sure that the children are taken care of. I refuse to do anything that would put them at risk. I could never live with myself if I let someone take away the greatest gift Akane ever gave me," replied Seigai.

"I understand. We had to make the same decision once, when we were captured. It wasn't Takeshi, but another trainer, a cruel individual who felt winning meant more than the livelihood of his pokemon. We could sense this in him immediately upon seeing him. We knew we ourselves had no way of escaping, and did our best to hide Akane, for her own protection. I'm surprised she remembers things so differently. I was worried she would come to resent us for seemingly abandoning her. She thought it was the trainer who chose to leave her behind. I don't doubt that man would have done just that, but I didn't want to take any chances," explained Kasumi.

"How did you end up in the care of Takeshi?" asked Seigai.

"Our previous trainer attempted to take on Brawly, the gym leader in Dewford Town, in the Hoenn Region. He was overconfident from his victory against Roxanne of Rustboro City, and took him on without learning anything of how he battled or extra time to train. His other four pokemon were quickly defeated, so he sent us out, expecting to win, since we had a type advantage over the fighting-type pokemon Brawly used. We had him down to his last pokemon, a Machamp. Despite the advantage we held, we were soundly beaten. Our trainer was furious. Satoshi was the last one out. As Satoshi fell, our trainer continued to yell at and berate him, even going to far as to try to force him to continue. We're a very loyal race, dedicated to protecting others, even those who would just assume watch us die. Satoshi attempted to continue the fight, but Brawly would have none of hit, declaring the match over. Our trainer, further enraged shouted at Satoshi to unleash the strongest thunderbolt he could muster. He attempted it, even in his weakened state. The attack failed, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Our trainer started kicking an beating Satoshi out of frustration. At that point, Brawly had Machamp restrain our trainer. He called in the police, and had his trainer license revoked, as well as having all of his pokemon released. This was how we ended up meeting Takeshi. He was helping in setting free all of our previous trainer's pokemon. Something about him made us wish to remain with him, so we offered to fight alongside him. And then we ended up here," explained Kasumi.

"Seems the two of you have been through a lot over the years," spoke Seigai.

"We were, but we persevered, because we had each other," spoke Satoshi, as he returned with a wheelchair he made from the materials he found in Seigai's personal lab.

"Ah, thank you, Satoshi," spoke Seigai, as Kasumi lifted up Seigai, and placed him in the wheelchair. Satoshi gave the chair straps to help sit Seigai up. Seigai smiled, glad he didn't have to lay helpless on the floor.

"That's much better. I'll still need one of you to push me around for a while, but I can get used to it," replied Seigai, "at least for the time being."

"You could use your research to restore your body, right?" asked Satoshi.

"I could, but I would need access to the right equipment for that. I somewhat doubt Shin and Kenji will just let me into the lab to give myself a new body while they're trying to kill me," replied Seigai.

"So what do we do?" asked Satoshi.

"I have a plan, but don't worry about that for now. I would like to see Ryoku, Hatsumi, and Sakashi, while I still have the chance. I don't want to say goodbye without seeing them one last time. I just wish we could have more time together... I was hoping to get the chance to hear their first words, but... well, their safely comes first," replied Seigai.

"It's okay, Seigai. We've been through the same," spoke Satoshi.

"That's true. I don't know how you two managed, but if you were able to, then I'll find a way," replied Seigai.

Kasumi left to get the children. Seigai was waiting anxiously to see them once again. He was nervous about them seeing him as he was, and pondered if he should allow them to remember him as he was, but he didn't want to send his children away without seeing them, letting them think they were abandoned. Kasumi soon returned with his children. They stood still for a second, not sure what to make of the strange person in the wheelchair.

"Ra-ra ralts," muttered Hatsumi, as she backed up.

"It's okay, it's me, daddy. I know I look different, but it's okay. I'm not scary," spoke Seigai, while letting a smile grace his face. The young ralts remembered the sound of his voice, and were soon all over him.

"Oh, ho, ha ha!" shouted Seigai, as his children fought to get a seat with their father.

"Easy, now, one at a time, one at a time. I don't think this thing will hold all of you," spoke Seigai.

"Ralts!" shouted the three children in excitement, as they crawled all over their father. Sakashi had managed to not only climb up into Seigai's chair, but had managed to make it to the top of Seigai's head.

"I'm on top of the world!" shouted Sakashi.

"Yes you are! Wait... Sakashi?" asked Seigai.

"Yes?" asked Sakashi.

"You can talk?" asked Seigai.

"Talk? Wait... I am?" asked Sakashi.

"Um, Satoshi, Kasumi?" asked Seigai.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you knew. All pokemon are born able to talk, but the part of their mind that allows them to be coherent takes a few months to properly develop. I'm surprised any of them are talking this soon," spoke Seigai.

"Wait, you all are born able to talk?" asked Seigai.

"More or less. Our minds develop a lot faster than a human's. It allows us to be able to better take care of ourselves on our own," explained Satoshi.

"Ralts! I want to talk, too," spoke Ryoku.

"I believe you just did," spoke Seigai.

"About time, I was getting bored," spoke Hatsumi.

"Eh?" asked Seigai, "How long have you been able to talk?"

"For a week. I thought it would be funny to fake it," spoke Hatsumi, while making a large grin.

"My my, so many surprises," spoke Seigai.

"Father, where's mother?" asked Sakashi.

"Oh... your mother is... resting," spoke Seigai.

"When is she going to wake up?" asked Hatsumi.

"She... isn't..." replied Seigai.

"What do you mean? Can't we wake her up?" asked Ryoku.

"I'm afraid I can't..." muttered Seigai. He had done well to keep from breaking down, in light of having to deal with the emergency posed by those trying to kill him. However, he hadn't been anticipating explaining to his children what death meant and how their mother was never coming home. He could no longer hold back the tears.

"I'm sorry... your mother isn't coming home," spoke Seigai, through his tears.

"I want to see mother!" shouted Hatsumi, as she began to cry.

"Me, too!" shouted Sakashi.

Ryoku was silent, though she, too, began to cry.

"It'll be okay, guys... it'll be okay," spoke Seigai, trying to keep his voice steady.

After a few minutes of crying, Ryoku finally looked up at her father.

"Daddy, why are you in that funny chair?" asked Ryoku.

"This? Oh... I was... in an accident," replied Seigai.

"What kind of accident," asked Sakashi.

"One where I almost... died," spoke Seigai.

"Died?" asked Ryoku.

"Is that what happened to mama?" asked Hatsumi.

"Yeah, that's what happened to mama," replied Seigai.

"Why?" asked Sakashi.

"Someone doesn't like me. There are these people, bad people, who wanted to make me do something to hurt other people. I didn't want to do it, so they decided to come after me," explained Seigai.

"But I thought you weren't supposed to hurt people?" asked Sakashi.

"Why would they want to hurt you and mama for not wanting to hurt other people?" asked Hatsumi.

"That's how things are in the adult world. They don't always make sense, but we have to make do and continue on, because we can never quit," spoke Seigai.

"Never quit?" asked Ryoku.

"That's right, never quit. Never give up. Your mama didn't want me to give up, so she gave me a vision of the future. We'll all have a happy life together, as long as we don't give in to sadness," replied Seigai.

"Mama wants us to be happy?" asked Sakashi.

"That's right. Mama wants us to be happy, so we should be happy, then, right?" asked Ryoku.

"That's right, that's right!" shouted Seigai, with a smile on his face again. He was thankful for the vision Akane gave him; it had made things much easier for him than if he didn't receive a farewell from his wife. Seigai enjoyed playing with his children for the next few hours. As it grew close to sunset, Seigai knew he had to say goodbye.

"Well, I suppose it's time go to Aomine's house," spoke Seigai.

"I can't wait to see Aomine!" shouted Ryoku.

"Oh? Only a few months old, and already you have a boyfriend?" asked Seigai.

"Huh? Boyfriend?" asked Ryoku.

"Ha ha, just kidding, just kidding," spoke Seigai.

"Oh... what's a boyfriend?" asked Ryoku.

"Um... er... ah... I'll tell you when your older, okay?" asked Seigai.

"Okay," spoke Ryoku.

"I want to know now," spoke Hatsumi.

"Me, too," replied Sakashi.

"Well, I'll tell you then. It means this: shoujo ya wakai nin tachino koibito no josei ga otoko," spoke Seigai.

"Oh," replied the three young ralts.

"Huh?" asked Seigai.

"They are psychic-types. Once they can talk they can read your mind, too," replied Satoshi, while nearly breaking out in laughter.

"They can't read too much, but they wouldn't have to in order to avoid that trick," spoke Kasumi.

"Nice try in giving the textbook definition in another language," spoke Satoshi.

"You could have warned me," spoke Seigai.

"What's the fun in that?' asked Kasumi.

The three children were laughing as well, prompting Seigai to look down in shame.

"So, we're going somewhere, right?" asked Seigai.

"Oh, right," spoke Kasumi, "Let's go."

Seigai closed his eye, and felt the familiar sensation of being stretched out before arriving in the middle of another family's house. Mizuho and Muzo were more than surprised to see the group of six suddenly appear.

"Um... guys, why inside? Not in front?" asked Seigai.

"Oh dear, seems we were a little off. How clumsy of us," spoke Satoshi.

"Um... hi there," spoke Seigai, while staring at the couple.

"Satoshi? Kasumi? Who's this?" asked Mizuho.

"Oh, this is Seigai, the children's father," answered Satoshi.

"A pleasure to meet you both. Sorry I can't shake your hands," spoke Seigai.

"What happened to you?" asked Muzo.

"It's a bit of a story. One I need to tell you. Um... perhaps we should speak alone, away from the children," spoke Seigai.

"They can't understand us, can they?" asked Mizuho.

"They can, actually," replied Seigai.

"Why can't we listen?" asked Sakashi.

"I'll tell you another time, Sakashi. This is an adults-only conversation," replied Seigai.

"Okay," replied Sakashi.

"You can understand them?" asked Mizuho. Her and Muzo could only hear them saying their name over and over again.

"Oh, yes. Why wouldn't I be able to understand my own children?" asked Seigai.

"They really are your children? I thought you would be a pokemon yourself," spoke Muzo.

"Oh, well... things play out in mysterious ways," spoke Seigai.

"Hi Aomine!" shouted Ryoku.

The baby boy giggled in response.

"Well, seems they are already enjoying each other's company. Kasumi, Satoshi, can you look after the children?" asked Seigai.

"Of course," replied the gardevoir couple.

"So, where may we speak?" asked Seigai.

"Just how important is all of this?" asked Muzo, trying to hide his irritation in having a family suddenly appear in the middle of his house.

"I'm sorry to just barge in on you like this, but I don't have a lot of time. There is something of the utmost importance I must deal with, and I need your help," spoke Seigai.

"We'll hear you out, at least, but I won't make any promises," spoke Muzo, as he walked up to Seigai's wheelchair, and took him to another room. Mizuho followed.

"So, what is this all about?" asked Muzo.

Seigai proceeded to tell the couple about his history as a researcher. He spoke of how he made a breakthrough in the regeneration of the anatomy that was previously thought to be impossible, then went on to explain how pokemon were part of the process. Finally, he arrived to how his research was being turned into a weapon, and how his comrades and his wife had been killed over it, along with his current state resulting from an attempted assassination. The couple were speechless upon hearing the entire tale. It took a few minutes before the silence broke in the room.

"So that's what happened to your wife..." spoke Mizuho, "we didn't want to force it from your in-laws."

"So, someone is trying to kill you, and you're worried about your children?" asked Muzo.

"Correct. I don't want to put them in any danger, and I fear something may happen to them if they were to remain with me. I don't want to lose anyone else I'm close to," spoke Seigai.

"I want to help you, but I don't want to put our family in danger," spoke Muzo.

"You won't. They are only after me. They have no interest in my family. They'll never even know they're my children. To anyone else, it would seem as though you received three new pokemon," replied Seigai.

"But taking care of three young ralts, and our own son," spoke Mizuho.

"I can give you all the money you'll ever need, if that is your concern. I can even have rooms added to your home. Kasumi and Satoshi will help you, too. Unfortunately, I won't be able to help you out personally. I can't risk you being seen with me. I know this is a lot to ask of people I've just met, but I don't have too many options," spoke Seigai.

"What about the police?" asked Muzo.

"No good. They've already been bought off by the Union Corporation. Telling them about the situation would not end well," spoke Seigai.

"I'll do it, then," spoke Muzo.

"You will?" asked Seigai.

"It's against my nature not to help someone in need," replied Muzo.

"Are you sure about this, dear?" asked Mizuho.

"We can do it. We always wanted to have a big family. It was hard finding out we wouldn't be able to after the complications that arose from Aomine being born. This will be our chance to have that family," replied Muzo.

"Oh... you're right. Okay, I agree to help, too," spoke Mizuho.

"Thank you so much! I'll be sure to repay the favor one day, once all of this is over," replied Seigai.

"Don't worry about it," spoke Muzo, "It'll be our pleasure."

"Thank goodness there are people like you out here. It seems this was all fate, in some way or form. I only hope things will get better from here on out," spoke Seigai.

Muzo took the handles of Seigai's wheelchair, and took him into the living area, where Satoshi and Kasumi were watching the children play with one another.

"Huh, so human babies don't learn how to talk right away?" asked Hatsumi.

"That's no fun," spoke Sakashi.

"He can communicate, he just has a different way of doing it. I think it's cute the way he communicates by moving his little arms around," replied Ryoku.

Aomine continued to giggle, enjoying all the attention he was getting.

"Human babies are most interesting," spoke Satoshi.

"I don't know if I could parent a child like that," replied Kasumi.

"Ah, there you are," spoke Seigai, as he was wheeled in.

"So, what's the news?" asked Satoshi.

"We'll be more than glad to help you out. We won't let anything happen to the children," spoke Muzo.

"Thank you. As thanks, we do have one present for you," spoke Satoshi.

"Oh, we couldn't accept any gifts," spoke Muzo.

"It'll help," spoke Satoshi, as he and Kasumi approached Muzo and Mizuho. Satoshi placed his hand upon Muzo's head, while Kasumi placed her hand upon Mizuho's head. Within a moment, the eyes of the two gardevoir glowed a deep, navy blue. This glowing extended to their hands, and soon, the bodies of Mizuho and Muzo glowed the same. The glow lasted for a minute before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What was that?" asked Mizuho.

"What did you do to uncle Muzo and auntie Mizuho?" asked Sakashi.

"It looked like fun! Can we try? Please?" asked Hatsumi.

"They can talk?" asked Muzo.

"They've been talking. You can understand them now," explained Seigai.

"Oh," replied Mizuho.

"It'll be much easier to raise them this way," replied Kasumi.

"I see. This certainly does help," replied Muzo.

"Well, I suppose I should say my goodbyes," spoke Seigai.

"Goodbyes?" asked Ryoku.

"Yes, you see, I have to go away for a little while," spoke Seigai.

"Go away? Where?" asked Hatsumi.

"I have to hide in a place where... where the bad people that hurt me can't find me," spoke Seigai.

"Can we come with you?" asked Sakashi.

"Sorry, but you can't. It's much too dangerous. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you," replied Seigai.

"But daddy..." spoke Ryoku.

"We finally got to see you again," spoke Sakashi.

"Why do you have to leave again?" asked Hatsumi.

"It's in order to keep you safe. Don't worry, I'll be back again. It may be months, it may be years, but I'll be back again. Even if I'm not there, I'll always be watching you, so don't you fret," spoke Seigai.

"So, you'll always be near?" asked Ryoku.

"Of course! I'm your father, I would never abandon any of you. I love you all dearly. It hurts to have to leave you like this, but Ms. Mizuho and Mr. Muzo will take good care of you all, okay?" asked Seigai.

"Okay," spoke Sakashi.

"It's not fair! I don't want you to leave!" shouted Hatsumi, with tears in her eyes. She ran up and held onto Seigai, prompting the other ralts to follow.

"I know, it's not fair. But it'll be okay. Everything is going to be okay, I'll make sure of it. I would never lie to any of you, so consider this a promise," spoke Seigai.

"Daddy..." spoke Hatsumi.

Seigai kissed his daughter on the cheek, letting her know everything would be okay. His other children also received and quick kiss, each being comforted by their father's warmth.

"We'll miss you," spoke Ryoku.

"I know you will," spoke Seigai.

"Bye, daddy," spoke Hatsumi.

"Goodbye, father," spoke Sakashi.

"Bye bye, dad," spoke Ryoku.

"I'll always be watching, so be good, now. Goodbye," spoke Seigai, with a pleasant grin on his face.

"We'll visit as often was we can," spoke Satoshi.

"We'll keep an eye on your father and keep him safe," spoke Kasumi.

With that, Kasumi and Satoshi returned with Seigai to their home. Seigai tried his best to hide a lone tear falling from his eye, wanting the children to remember his smile, as he knew it was going to be the last time they would see him for the next twenty years.


	3. Tactics and Growth

_Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon; I would be swimming in a pool full of money if I did_

**Chapter 3 – Tactics and Growth**

Seigai, Kasumi, and Satoshi returned to their home. Without any power, the house was pitch black, leaving the group of three to stumble about for a moment.

"Ow..." muttered Seigai, as Satoshi accidentally knocked him into a table.

"I don't suppose you guys were able to get the generator, where you?" asked Seigai.

"I believe we got it. We got everything from the foundation up," replied Satoshi.

"Ah, that's good. Maybe we should get that going first, then I'll discuss what we need to do next," spoke Seigai.

Kasumi took the handles of Seigai's wheelchair, and Satoshi found his way outside to where the generator was. Within a few minutes, power returned to the house, providing the light needed for the group to see.

"That should do. I'm glad I was able to get my hands on one of Kenji's experimental generators. In theory, it should never need any fuel. I suppose this is as good a test as any, since we won't be able to hook utilities up to this house," spoke Seigai.

"What about water?" asked Kasumi.

"Ah, that does pose a problem. We'll have to run on bottled water for the moment, until we're able to dig a well. We can't have any utility lines run out here, it will make it possible for them to find us," replied Seigai.

"That makes sense," spoke Satoshi.

"There is something we need to take care of first, right away," spoke Seigai.

"What is that?" asked Satoshi.

"Our first strike," spoke Seigai.

"So it's time to hit them already, eh?" asked Satoshi.

"We have to stop their research efforts, or at least stall them. If that Kenji is as arrogant as I think he is, he'll likely trust his security system not to fail," spoke Seigai.

"Is there a way around it?" asked Satoshi.

"Oh, there is big hole in his security system, one that I doubt he thought of. Then again, I doubt he planned for his own employees to sabotage his efforts. He did intend to have us killed. This should make things rather easy for us this time around," spoke Seigai.

"What is your plan?" asked Satoshi.

"It will require one of you. Either of you know something you could use in a projectile fashion?" asked Seigai.

"We both know quite a few. I'll take this one. I want to get back at them for taking my daughter away from me," spoke Satoshi.

"Easy, Satoshi. You don't want to go in there angry. If you do, you'll raise the probability of making a foolish mistake. That's the last thing you want to do with these people, especially with that Shin. You were able to see two of that man's pokemon first hand. I don't know much about gauging the strength of others, but all of his pokemon looked rather strong. What do you think?" asked Seigai.

"They are very strong. I can see his military background through their strength. Back at the hospital, I knew I had to get you out of there quickly. There was no way I could have handled both of them," replied Satoshi.

"And he knew that," spoke Seigai.

"He didn't expect my speed, though. I was able to catch him off guard for a moment," replied Satoshi.

"I doubt he'd make the same mistake twice. You'll have to avoid him at all costs. The last thing you would want to do is end up going one on one with him," spoke Seigai.

"Perhaps I should go with him?" asked Kasumi.

"It would be better if he went alone, just in case. I can't rescue anyone on my own as I am now, and it's just the three of us. We have to plan ahead," spoke Seigai.

"I don't suppose those visions you had gave you any clues?" asked Kasumi.

"I know we can pull this off, but the details were left up to me to figure out," spoke Seigai, "and the first thing we have to do is send his project crashing into a brick wall. With all the resources he has right now, he could finish that weapon of his within a few months. We won't be able to do anything once he gets to that point."

"So how do we stop him?" asked Satoshi.

"By destroying all of our research materials," spoke Seigai.

"Are you sure about this? Wasn't this project your dream?" asked Satoshi.

"It is. Fortunately, I have everything backed up here. I always have a backup prepared for myself. I'm not so sure Kenji does, though. He believes too firmly in the superiority of his resources. I doubt he even knows what a backup is," spoke Seigai.

"And what if he does have a backup?" asked Satoshi.

"Then this won't matter, but I'm not going to sit here and do nothing," spoke Seigai.

"What about your arms, legs, eye, and ear?" asked Kasumi.

"That? Well, I have the proper computers here, but not the equipment for the procedure. That's the second part of this plan. Once you attack the lab, you'll have to grab the equipment I'll need, and get out of there in a hurry. If I'm right, then the old equipment we used before should still be in the location of our old lab," spoke Seigai.

"And if it isn't" asked Satoshi.

"I'll find a way to get new equipment," spoke Seigai.

"How do we go about this?" asked Satoshi.

"You can read my mind for a map of the parts of the building I know. That should be enough for you to find and destroy the lab, as well as escape with the other equipment. You'll have to destroy the other lab, too, in order to cover up the stolen equipment. I don't want them to suspect anything. They'll know right away it was me who took everything; there's no one else around who could make proper use of it," explained Seigai.

"So that's it? I go in there, smash everything, and take some equipment with me?" asked Satoshi.

"That's it in a nutshell, plain and simple. That's how I usually go about things. No need to make everything complicated," replied Seigai.

"When do we do this?' asked Satoshi.

"One in the morning. By that time, it should be just the overnight guards. I doubt Shin will be there," spoke Seigai.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Kasumi.

"I can't be absolutely sure. I would think even an inhuman creep like him would need to get some sleep at some point," replied Seigai.

"You have a point," replied Kasumi.

"Is there anything else I should do?" asked Satoshi.

"Hmm... there is one thing," spoke Seigai, "could you take me to my lab?"

"I can," spoke Satoshi, as he pushed Seigai into his personal lab in the house. Kasumi followed.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to teach you two how to use a computer. Let me clear my mind of anything not related to using it... okay, if you read my mind, you should be able to learn everything about using a computer that I know," spoke Seigai.

The pair of gardevoir placed their hands on Seigai's head, closed their eyes, and peered into his mind. Within a few minutes, they finished learning everything they needed to know.

"So that's how you use them... too bad they weren't made with gardevoir hands in mind," spoke Satoshi.

"Oh, I forgot about that part. Well, it shouldn't be too hard to find the keys. I need you to make a computer virus, one that will wipe out all the files on a hard drive. That shouldn't be too hard to do," Seigai.

"Why should I do this?" asked Satoshi.

"Just in case. If anything is left recoverable, I want to make sure that all of their data is useless to them. I have to make sure they are sent back to ground zero," spoke Seigai.

"That makes sense, but won't their computers have some kind of protection against that kind of thing?" asked Kasumi.

"They will, but if your on the computer you're trying to infect, it's relatively easy to turn that protection off," replied Seigai.

"Okay, shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Why do you have such knowledge? I don't see how it would be useful to a medical researcher," spoke Satoshi.

"Computer programming was a little side hobby of mine while I was in high school. I never thought I would end up putting what I learned back then to use now," answered Seigai.

"I see," spoke Satoshi, as he punched up and compiled a small virus program that would wipe a hard drive clean.

"There, it's done," spoke Satoshi.

"Okay, just put it on a disk, and put it on their computers. Give it a second to propagate before you start smashing everything. That should take care of everything. If we're real lucky, it may take out any backups he may have made, though I'm hoping that he didn't make any," spoke Seigai.

"Only time will tell," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, we should get something to eat. It won't be long before it'll be time for us to put our plan into motion," spoke Seigai.

Kasumi and Satoshi prepared a quick meal from the food that was still usable. Since the refrigerator was without power for too long, all the food within was spoiled. Seigai was a little annoyed at himself for not thinking to turn on the generator before they left to drop off the children with the Ookami family, but realized he simply had too many things on his mind in order to remember about it. After a small meal of canned vegetables and pasta, the group kept a vigilant eye on the clock, getting ready for their first step in damaging the efforts of the Union Corporation.

"It's just about time," spoke Seigai.

"Do you have a map of the place on your mind?" asked Satoshi.

"Yeah, go ahead and read my mind for it," spoke Seigai. Satoshi once again placed his hand on Seigai's head, and read the information he needed in order to get into the Union Corporation building. Seigai was sure to let him know everything he knew about the security system that was in place, as well as a layout of the places he knew.

"That's all you know about the security system?" asked Satoshi.

"Sorry. They didn't tell us that much, just how to avoid tripping it. I don't think you'll have too much to worry about, as long as you don't get caught," spoke Seigai.

"Very well, I'm ready," spoke Satoshi.

The group watched the clock. It was a quarter to one. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, as thick as it hung in the air. While the gardevoir pair appeared calm, both were worried about their small mission. Kasumi was worried for her husband's safety, while Satoshi was hoping that he had enough information to complete his task. Seigai was the most worried of the three. He knew he was asking Satoshi to put himself at risk, and wouldn't forgive himself if something were to happen to him. Within moments, the clock struck one.

"Good luck, Satoshi," spoke Seigai.

"Be careful, dear," spoke Kasumi.

"I'll be alright, Kasumi. We've been through a lot together over the years. This isn't nearly as bad as that time we faced Blaine of Kanto and his powerful fire-types," replied Satoshi with a smile, as he teleported himself into the Union Corporation building.

Within moments, Satoshi found himself within the lab Seigai and his colleagues had been using for the betterment of mankind. He saw there was no one present in the room. He took a look to his left, staring at the random body parts from humans and different pokemon in glowing jars. Further ahead of him on his left was all the machines used in the experiments carried out. To his right lay all the computer terminals. Satoshi made his way over to them. He saw a black box plugged into the terminal. He noticed it was an external hard drive. The terminal was showing the progress of a back up. Satoshi did a quick check to see if there were records of any other backups being made. No such records were found. He found and disabled the virus protection in place, put the virus program on the computer, and ran it. Within a moment, a warning screen came up, stating the files being backed up were missing or corrupt. He noticed some of the icons were disappearing from the computer, watching his virus at work.

"That should do it," spoke Satoshi, as he stood up. He walked into the center of the room, and charged as much electricity as he could, before unleashing a thunderbolt on all the computer terminals on that side of the room. The terminals exploded in a shower of sparks and damaged computer boards. Smoke and fire filled that section of the room. Satoshi prepared for another, and took his aim at the lab machines in front of him. He let loose another thunderbolt on the machines, causing the glass tubes to shatter and the computer consoles controlling the machines to explode in another shower of sparks. He looked on as an arm from a random pokemon was thrown on to the floor next to him.

"It's unfortunate these machines will no longer be able to help anyone, but at least they won't be used for evil. Now to finish the job," spoke Satoshi, as he charged of up last thunderbolt. This time, he unleashed it in all directions, causing sparks to fly all over the place from damaged electronic equipment. The cameras hidden in the walls and ceiling exploded and fell to the ground. The lights burst with sparks before the fires from the destroyed equipment were all that was left lighting the room. At that point, Satoshi could hear several alarms going off throughout the building. He could hear the marching of footsteps approaching him.

"_Time to go,"_ thought Satoshi, as he teleported himself into the old lab on the seventh floor. Sure enough, the room had been untouched. Even the old lab coats Seigai, Teruko, and Masayoshi wore were still hanging by the door. Satoshi unhooked all of the machines and prepared to leave when he saw a breaker panel out in room across the corridor. He noticed the small utility room had been left open for the renovation that was taking place.

"_I would cause a lot of damage if I sent a thunderbolt through there,"_ thought Satoshi, as he charged up another thunderbolt. He looked down the corridor. He noticed that none of the guards were around. He figured they were likely looking into the lab he had destroyed. Satoshi pulled off the panel's cover, placed his hands on the wires, and let loose a thunderbolt through the wiring in the panel. All the lights flashed before exploding from the overload in electricity. All the equipment and terminals still plugged in exploded into a shower of sparks.

"One more should do it," spoke Satoshi, as he readied one final thunderbolt to destroy the unneeded equipment in the old lab. In a couple of moments, Satoshi let out one final blast of thunder, watching as the older equipment exploded, showering the room with debris. Just as before, fire was the only source of light in the area. Satoshi took a hold of the equipment, and quickly made his return to Seigai's home.

"Mission complete," spoke Satoshi, as he returned to Seigai's lab.

"Were you able to find out if there were any backups?" asked Seigai.

"One. It was being made while I was there. I was sure to place the virus before I left. If anything survived, there shouldn't be any information left on that hard drive," replied Satoshi.

"Perfect! That should set them back quite a bit. It'll give me time to finish something," spoke Seigai.

"Finish something?" asked Satoshi.

"Yes. It'll be a great help," spoke Seigai.

"What should I do with all of this?" asked Satoshi.

"That generator should have enough power to run this equipment. We can spend the day tomorrow hooking it up. Right now, I think we should get some sleep. It is getting rather late," spoke Seigai.

"I could use a little rest. Those thunderbolts took a lot out of me," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm just glad you're alright," spoke Kasumi, as she let go of Seigai's chair long enough to share a hug and a kiss with her husband. Kasumi took Seigai to his room, and set him on his bed, while she and Satoshi went into their room. Seigai took a look at the space next to him, the space that he and Akane once shared. Seigai closed his eyes and focused on his thoughts of Akane, remembering what she felt like, what she looked like, even the sweet smell of her body.

"As long as I think about you, you'll always be with me. Goodnight, Akane," spoke Seigai, as he closed his eye. He quickly fell into his sleep, leaving silence throughout his house.

The next morning, Kenji awoke to a phone call.

"What is it?" asked Kenji. It was only four in the morning. Kenji did not normally wake until six.

"Sir, something has happened," spoke one of the guards.

"What do you mean?" asked Kenji.

"You need to come down here right away, sir," spoke the guard.

"Fine, but if I deem this unimportant, I'll have you used as target practice for a houndour," spoke Kenji.

The guard hung up, as did Kenji. He had no idea what to expect, wondering what could possibly be so important as to demand his presence so early in the morning. He assumed there was nothing that could happen, seeing as he had one of the most sophisticated security systems available. He arrived to see there were no lights on in the building. Everyone was using a flashlight.

"What's going on here? Why is there no power?" asked Kenji.

"There is power, but none of the lights are working," spoke Shin, as he approached Kenji. Kenji noticed Shin was upset with something.

"What do you mean none of the lights are working?" asked Kenji.

"You better see this for yourself," spoke Shin, as he escorted his boss into the building. Kenji noticed some of the light fixtures were broken. He was wondering how someone could have gotten in, and why would they bother until he noticed something: the fixtures had exploded from the inside out.

"What is this?" asked Kenji.

"There was some kind of power surge sent through the building. Most of the light fixtures were destroyed. Our link to the city power grid has been restored for now, but the generator is not functional," spoke Shin.

"Why is that?" asked Kenji.

"It shut itself down due to power overload. Fortunately, it was not damaged," spoke Shin. The guard started to get nervous, alarming Kenji.

"What was damaged?" asked Kenji.

"Follow me," spoke Shin, as he opened the door to the stairs, and led Kenji down to his lab.

After going down multiple flights of stairs, since the elevator was damaged, the pair finally arrived at the tenth basement. Fortunately, the doors that would have blocked access to the lab and generator were raised before the building lost power. As Kenji walked up the lab, he could see Shin was becoming increasingly nervous.

"What's wrong with you? I've never seen you like this before," spoke Kenji.

"Sorry, sir," spoke Shin, as he opened the door to the lab. He prepared for the worst as Kenji walked into the lab. Shin could see the look of horror on Kenji's face.

"What is this!" shouted Kenji, as he surveyed the ruined equipment and computer consoles. He ran over to one of the computer terminals, appearing to look for something. He moved some of the debris out of the way, until he managed to pull up a black box.

"Sir?" asked Shin.

"At least I have this... now tell me, what happened here?" asked Kenji, in a relatively calm tone of voice.

"My men are looking into it. Most of the security footage from this room was corrupted by the power surge that ran through the building," replied Shin.

"How is it possible that a power surge ran through here? I thought there were enough safeguards in place to prevent such a thing!" shouted Kenji.

"We believe it originated from the reactor. That's the only power source that could produce enough electricity to cause the kind of widespread damage that has affected the building," spoke Shin.

"This room must have taken the worst... all of the equipment and computer terminals were destroyed!" shouted Kenji, as he looked over everything.

"All the research conducted in here... well, at least I have it all on here," spoke Kenji, while holding up the black box.

"Is that the backup you were making?" asked Shin.

"Yes. If I didn't have this, I might be throwing you in an incinerator. This along with my own personal computer in my office have all the information from this research backed up. Fortunately, my computer was not plugged in at the time, so between that and this, I should have all the information I need. I may have lost a couple things, but it's of no consequence. As for the equipment, I can always buy more. Now, for that reactor... I suppose I'll have to have one of the scientists redesign it, once they figure out what is wrong with it," spoke Kenji.

"I see. It would seem that luck is on your side with that computer," replied Shin.

"Indeed it is. Luck always favors the most ambitious. Now then, have a team clean up this mess. I'll have the new equipment brought in next week. I'm sure it won't take too long to gather everything again, and get rid of those rotting body parts. I don't know why those three individuals thought it so valuable to hold onto them. All the information that they provided is right here," spoke Kenji, as he kicked what appeared to be the leg of an arcanine.

"I'll have it taken care of at once," spoke Shin.

Kenji made his way to his office on the top floor of the Union Corporation building. It was a long walk without use of the elevator, but he wanted to check up on his disk as soon as possible. He set up his computer, and prepared to transfer the data over.

"Good, good, glad that the regular power supply coming into this building is working just fine now," spoke Kenji, as his computer came up. He pulled out a cable, and hooked the black box up to it. To Kenji's delight, his hard drive was still working.

"Ah, what fantastic luck!" shouted Kenji in delight, as he commenced the data transfer.

Kenji watched as the transfer began. Within a few minutes, though, the transfer ceased.

"Hmm?" muttered Kenij, as he saw an error pop up about corrupted information.

"I guess I'll have to have one of those IT workers look this over," spoke Kenji. He was about to call one of them when he noticed something strange. Warning boxes started popping up one after the other on his computer screen.

"What is this?" asked Kenji, startled. His puzzled expression turned to one of horror as he noticed all of the information on his computer was being wiped out.

"No! Stop!" shouted Kenji, as he quickly unplugged the hard drive from his computer. He found that doing so did not stop the problem. He quickly turned off his computer, hoping to stop the whatever was deleting his data. He waited a few minutes before trying to turn his computer back on. When he did, his screen remained blank, while he could hear his computer start to get louder. It sounded as though it was turning itself on and off repeatedly. Before long, Kenji heard a pop and saw sparks fly out the back of his computer, showing it had overheated. Unknown to Kenji, the information on the computer for controlling the temperature was wiped out, along with everything else.

"This can't be happening... twenty years of research... I had twenty years of research... and all three places I kept my information were destroyed!" shouted Kenji in anger, and he pounded his fist into the keyboard of his now dead computer over and over again until the keyboard had broken into two. Kenji charged down the stairs, wanting to assault Shin for what had just happened. As he was racing down the third floor, one of the guards caught him.

"Dr. Den, I've been trying to contact you for the past few minutes, sir," spoke the guard.

"What is it!" shouted Kenji.

"We recovered some of the security footage, sir," replied the guard.

"And?" asked Kenji.

"I think you should see this," spoke Kenji.

The guard took Kenji to one of the security rooms. Most of the computers in there were also damaged. A few that were not in use at the time of the power surge were active, showing a scrambled image. Shin was in there, as well.

"Shin? What is going on!" shouted Kenji.

"I don't know. I was just asked here a moment ago. The guards told me they had something to show me. They wanted to wait until you were present," replied Shin.

"I see. Well, I'm here, now what is it that you wanted to show me," spoke Kenji, his frustration and anger evident in his voice.

The guard started playing the video. The footage was relatively garbled, but it could be seen that it was from the lab.

"This is the lab just before one this morning," spoke the guard.

As the three continued to watch, a gardevoir appeared in the room. It was impossible to tell how it got in.

"What is that gardevoir doing in there? Do any of your men have a gardevoir?" asked Kenji.

"None to my knowledge," answered Shin.

The video became garbled static for a couple of minutes, before any kind of discernible image appeared again. This time, the gardevoir was at one of the computer terminals.

"What is that animal doing at my terminal!" shouted Kenji.

"There is some other footage we could recover from the camera behind the terminal. It shows what the gardevoir was doing there," spoke the guard, as he switched the footage to that from the other camera. Kenji tried to make out what the gardevoir was doing.

"What is that?" asked Kenji.

"I can try to clear this up a little," spoke the guard, while trying to clear up the video a little.

"That's... a disk? What is it doing with that?" asked Kenji.

The group continued to watch as the gardevoir appeared to be typing something out on the computer. The screen went full of static again, showing the screen as the gardevoir was walking away from the terminal.

"Can you get a better look of what's on the screen?" asked Kenji.

"I can," spoke the guard, as he zoomed the view on the computer screen.

"That is..." spoke Kenji, as he noticed there was a warning prompt about the virus protection being overridden.

"What did that gardevoir do!" shouted Kenji.

"There is more from the first camera," spoke the guard, as he resumed the other video. The gardevoir walked around the terminal, and walked over to the center of the lab. The gardevoir stared at the computer terminals, while starting to glow. Within seconds, the footage showed the gardevoir destroying the computer terminals, followed by the destruction of the lab equipment. After another burst of electricity from the gardevoir, the screen went blank.

"Shin! Are you sure none of your guards have a gardevoir!" shouted Kenji, as he ran over to the head guard, anger clearly the main emotion in his voice.

"I'm absolutely sure! None of my men use gardevoir," spoke Shin.

"Then how did that thing get in my lab! Only you and the other guards have the clearance to get in there!" shouted Kenji.

"Dr. Den, I believe you should look at this," spoke the guard.

"What is it!" shouted Kenji.

"There is a small amount of footage from the seventh floor that should be of interest to you," replied the guard. It was a little clearer than the footage from the lab. It could be seen that the gardevoir teleported to the floor.

"Teleporting... so it didn't have security codes... but how... unless..." muttered Kenji, until he finally realized there was one other person who knew enough about the building to be able to send a pokemon into it with relative accuracy.

"What was on the seventh floor?" asked Kenji.

"Some offices, and the old labs," replied the guard.

"The old labs... is there any footage from there?" asked Kenji.

"This is the only footage we were able to recover from that floor," replied the guard.

"What is the condition of those labs?" asked Kenji.

"I sent a team over there as soon as I saw this. I will contact them," spoke the guard, as he pulled out his radio. He had a brief conversation with the group looking at the seventh floor lab before putting his radio back in his pocket.

"Those labs were also destroyed. At appears they found the source of the power surge. It was not the reactor, but from a panel near the lab. Seems that gardevoir channeled its electricity in there, overloading everything beyond the capacity of the resistors in place of such an emergency," replied the guard.

"That gardevoir... Shin, you said Seigai was being looked after by a gardevoir. Is that the same gardevoir!" shouted Kenji.

Shin took a close look at the video footage before him. He noticed the way the gardevoir's hair was shorter on the right, as though it has been cut by something. He remembered that oddity from the gardevoir with Seigai.

"I believe it is the same," spoke Shin.

"That gardevoir... and that miserable cripple... did this!" shouted Kenji, as he charged towards Shin, and slammed him against the wall. In a normal situation, Shin could have easily killed Kenji without much effort on his part, but he knew doing so to his boss would not bode well for him.

"This is all your fault! All my research! Everything that I've worked on for the past twenty years! To come this close, finally achieving my goal, and it's all wiped out by the one you let get away!" shouted Kenji.

"My apologies, sir..." spoke Shin.

"Apologies? Apologies!" shouted Kenji, and he turned around, and kicked one of the damaged computer terminals in the room.

"Curse that Seigai! Curse him, and his entire existence!" shouted Kenji.

"Sir?" asked Shin.

"Find him! I don't care what it takes, but find him! Spare no resources, I want him dead! Him, and his entire family!" shouted Kenji.

"It shall be done, sir," spoke Shin.

"Now get out of my sight!" shouted Kenji.

Shin said nothing else as he left the room. Kenji continued pounding his fist into random objects as he made his way back to the remains of his lab. He saw the mess of rotting body parts had yet to be cleaned up. He stumbled upon a group of parts from a gardevoir, a pair of eyes, an arm, and a leg. Kenji stomped on the eyes in anger, watching as they smeared against his shoes. He continued to bear his frustration on the arm and leg, kicking and stomping on them until they were nothing more than bloodied piles of flesh. He kicked them one last time, tearing out chunks of flesh from each before storming into the lounge. He was hoping to at least have a small snack to calm his nerves, only to find the room has been destroyed by fires, and had debris from overloaded appliances scattered about.

"I'll make him pay for this. I may have to start over again. It may take my another twenty years, but at least I remember much of what he did here. The manufacturer still has the blueprints for the machines, so I can reverse engineer a portion of the process from them. And once I complete my weapon, I'll be sure to have him be one of my first experiments. I don't care if Shin kills him or not, I'll make a guinea pig out of whatever is left of him, and force him to watch as I make clones of his family, and kill them again and again and again in front of his face!" shouted Kenji, as he drove his fist into the broken refrigerator.

The next day, at Seigai's house, Seigai awoke to the sight of Satoshi and Kasumi in his room. It appeared to him as though the pair did not want to leave him alone, and decided to keep him company.

"Good morning, guys," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, you're awake," spoke Satoshi.

"Good morning, Seigai," spoke Kasumi.

"Thank you again for last night, Satoshi. From what the visions told me, it should take them twenty years to recover," spoke Seigai.

"Really? That long?" asked Satoshi.

"I think Kenji had been working on his project for that long. Without his research data, he would have to start over again from scratch. Since it took him about that long before, it will likely take him about that long again," explained Seigai.

"He is a rather persistent person. Most would probably give up after something like this," spoke Satoshi.

"I doubt that. It's human nature to be stubborn. Not to mention twenty years is a long time to work on something and end up not coming up with anything. He'll continue on for another forty years if he has to. The amount of dedication he had while working on it was something else. He wouldn't even look in our direction, not even responding to the loud outbursts that came from Teruko when Masayoshi said something to get on her nerves. For a weapon that he intends to sell for profit, he is very dedicated to his work," spoke Seigai.

"So what do we do now?" asked Kasumi.

"Well, we'll need a well for water," spoke Seigai.

"Actually, we already took care of that," spoke Kasumi.

"You did?" asked Seigai.

"There's an abandoned house out here with a well and septic system. It didn't take much effort to tie our house into the system of that house," spoke Satoshi.

"Huh... what are the odds of that?" asked Seigai.

"We saw this house as we were passing through the area with Takeshi. Since this place is sufficiently far enough from the village, as well as hidden well within the woods, we felt this would be the best place for the house," explained Kasumi.

"Oh... seems you guys did a lot of thinking quickly," spoke Seigai.

"It's helped us out of more than one troublesome situation," replied Satoshi.

"Well, then, that leaves two things, gathering food, and getting the equipment ready in the lab," spoke Seigai.

"I can take care of getting food," spoke Kasumi.

"I'll help you with setting up the lab," spoke Satoshi.

"Good, that should get things going for us here. I really don't like having to need someone to help me do something as mundane as use the restroom," replied Seigai.

Kasumi entered the village in order to take care of the grocery shopping. She had been doing it since they moved into Seigai's house, so her presence in the store wouldn't draw any attention. Satoshi took Seigai to his lab to begin working on putting together his lab equipment. After reading Seigai's mind for instructions, it became a simple matter of finding enough power outlets for all the equipment. Fortunately, since the equipment was from the old lab, it wasn't hard-lined to the reactor, like the new equipment, easily able to be plugged into a standard power outlet. After chaining power cords back and forth between all the rooms near the lab, Satoshi was finally able to set up everything. Just as he finished, Kasumi returned.

"I'm back!" shouted Kasumi.

"Oh, have a good time, dear?" asked Satoshi.

"About as much fun as one can have while grocery shopping. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary, really. I guess word of what you did last night hasn't really spread," spoke Kasumi.

"That doesn't surprise me. I doubt they would let that kind of information get out. Letting others know how easy it is to sabotage a big company like that... I don't think that's the kind of publicity he would want for his company," spoke Seigai.

"That makes sense," spoke Satoshi.

"Looks like the two of you were able to get things ready in here," spoke Kasumi.

"It's taken care of, but we'll have to be careful not to trip over the power cords littered all over the place," spoke Seigai.

"Oh..." spoke Kasumi, as she noticed the cords running all over the place.

"I really didn't think I would be putting this kind of equipment in here when I designed the extra rooms," spoke Seigai.

"I see..." muttered Kasumi.

"So, now that we have all of this set up, what's the next step?" asked Satoshi, "Are we going to take a sample from you?"

"Not quite. I have something different in mind. Satoshi, Kasumi, could you read my mind once again. I need you to learn all you can about my research, and where I plan to go with what I'm going to be doing for myself," spoke Seigai.

"Well, I have been curious since I heard about what you did for Akane," spoke Satoshi.

"I've wanted to learn about what you always talk about over dinner," spoke Kasumi.

Both gardevoir placed their hands on Seigai's head once again, and probed the thoughts at the surface of his mind. There was a lot more to his research than there was to everything else they had learned from reading his mind. It took them a half hour in order to absorb all the knowledge Seigai had from his research.

"So, you plan on doing that?" asked Satoshi.

"I do," replied Seigai.

"But isn't this counter productive to what we are trying to accomplish?" asked Kasumi.

"Yes and no. We didn't stop them. From the visions that Akane showed me, we only set them back. No matter what we do, they will eventually find a way to make their weapon a reality," spoke Seigai.

"They what is all of this for?" asked Kasumi.

"To make sure they are never able to use it to harm people. We'll have the time we need in order to get strong enough to stop them. Given how strong Shin and his pokemon are, I can only imagine how strong the people and pokemon of the rest of his top men are," replied Seigai.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Satoshi.

"I can't think of any other way. I can't continue to put the two of you in danger by yourselves; this will allow me to join you," spoke Seigai.

"Alright, we'll do this, then," spoke Satoshi.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," spoke Kasumi.

"I only have a guide. It's up for me to come up with the details. I can only hope I can gather all of the pieces of this puzzle together," replied Seigai.

"When do we start?" asked Satoshi.

"It won't take long to adjust the program for this procedure. Really, I only need the addition of one more program. I have a pretty good idea of where to go from here. Since I'm unable to do this on my own, I'll need you to be my hands for me, Satoshi," spoke Seigai.

"No problem," replied Satoshi.

"Let's get started then," spoke Seigai.

Over the next few days, Satoshi and Seigai worked hard on finishing the program that would be used in the process of giving Seigai a new body. The two were so involved with their work that Kasumi had to keep pulling them away from the computer in order to get them to eat and sleep. The pair grew frustrated when they ran into a dead end, but carried on, knowing that if they put their minds together, they would be able to find the solution to the issue. They continued on until they finally had the program ready at the end of the week.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Satoshi.

"It's well out of the danger zone. This computer is calibrated to these machines. I should be just fine. Realistically, I'll be better than fine when this process is all over. Even though I've only been conscious for a week without my arms and legs, I would much rather be able to move around on my own," spoke Seigai.

"Have you ever done one this extensive before?" asked Satoshi.

"No, this will be the first time a procedure of this level is carried out, and the first time on this older equipment," replied Seigai.

"And you're just going to hop in there and hope for the best without testing out anything?" asked Satoshi.

"Yeah, pretty much," replied Seigai.

"That's crazy! What if something goes wrong, and you end up injuring yourself further, or worse?" asked Satoshi.

"I don't want to push the power generator we have too hard. It will take just as much power to run the test as it will to run the procedure. I know it's set to never run out of power, but that's only in theory. These things haven't really been tested under fire yet. If there is only a limited about of power available, I would much rather use it on the real thing, rather than a simulation. Once that generator runs out, that's it. We won't be able to get our hands on another, and a regular generator wouldn't be able to provide enough power," explained Seigai.

"Then we don't have much of a choice, do we?" asked Satoshi.

"I wish we did. I would rather much run tests first myself, but I can't risk it. As extensive as this procedure is going to be, I'll need the most power I can get out this thing. Even then, if I run it with a safe amount of power consumption, the process is going to take at least a couple of weeks, if not more. I can't waste that kind of time on a test, especially if they are able to find this place," replied Seigai.

"At least let me get Kasumi in here. I don't want to put you in this thing without you seeing her right before," spoke Satoshi as he left to get his wife. Within a couple of minutes, Satoshi returned with Kasumi.

"So, you're ready, huh?" asked Kasumi.

"As ready as I'm going to be. It's now or never," spoke Seigai.

"Very well," spoke Kasumi, as she gently kissed Seigai on the forehead.

"I hope this works out for you," spoke Kasumi.

"It will. I know it will," replied Seigai, "Well, Satoshi, lie me on the bed in that chamber there, and then hit the 'commit' button. That's all you have to do, the machines will take care of the rest, just make sure that they don't run out of power."

"We won't let anything happen to you, so don't worry about it. Rest well, son," spoke Satoshi, as he undid the straps on Seigai's wheelchair and placed him on a bed in a glass chamber.

"See you guys in a couple of weeks," spoke Seigai, as Satoshi closed the container. He hesitated for a moment, taking one last look at Seigai before his hit the commit button. At that moment, gas filled the chamber, knocking out Seigai. Once the machines had confirmed that Seigai was knocked out, they commenced their work, with several small arms poking and prodding at what was left of Seigai's body. The pair turned away as one of the machines removed the clothing Seigai was wearing.

"Well, there's nothing to do now but wait," spoke Kasumi.

Satoshi nodded in response as the pair walked off, wondering just what was going to come out of the chamber at the end of two weeks.

In the home of Mizuho and Muzo, the husband and wife pair had their hands full with taking care of Aomine, Ryoku, Hatsumi, and Sakashi. The three ralts were not too hard to handle. They were easy to deal with, since they were capable of talking. Though they didn't have a full vocabulary, they could still speak well enough to get their points across. Ryoku would always be the first to play with Aomine. She didn't understand what it was about Aomine that made her feel comfortable, but she enjoyed every moment she could playing with the young baby.

"How are you today, Ao?" asked Ryoku.

Aomine laughed in response, as he usually did when Ryoku was talking to him.

"Hey, hey, want to try out confusion with us?" asked Sakashi.

"Confusion?" asked Ryoku.

"Yeah, like this!" shouted Sakashi, as his eyes glowed a light shade of purple. As chair gained an aura of the same color, and was lifted into the air.

"Sakashi!" shouted Muzo.

Sakashi lost his concentration, and ended up dropping the chair.

"Oh..." muttered Sakashi.

"Sakashi? What did I tell you guys about using your psychic moves inside?" asked Muzo.

"That's we're not supposed to," replied Sakashi.

"Then why did you do it?" asked Muzo.

"To try and get Ryoku to come outside and practice with us," replied Sakashi.

"Well, while that's all fun and good, you still should not use your abilities in the house. Someone could get hurt or something could get broken, okay?" asked Muzo.

"Okay," replied Sakashi.

"I'm not interested, anyway," spoke Ryoku.

"Fine, but you don't know what you're missing," spoke Sakashi, as he went out to join Hatsumi. The pair of Sakashi and Hatsumi were always working on improving their techniques. They were hoping that if they continued to practice, they would one day be strong enough to help their dad in dealing with the "bad people" coming after him.

"Maybe one day, I'll show you some fun psychic moves," spoke Ryoku.

Aomine smiled as he started crawling around the room. Ryoku followed him, looking to see what it was he was planning to get into. Aomine stopped at a pile of playing blocks. The baby decided it would be more fun to try and chew on the toys, rather than try to build anything with them. Ryoku decided she would try to make something fun. She started making a little castle with the blocks. She used a couple of cubes for the building, with a small cube on top. She used long rectangles to make a small wall, then she made a gate with an arched block.

"There Ao! Look! It's a castle," spoke Ryoku.

Aomine looked at it for a second, before taking the block off the top and chewing on it. The boy started making growling sounds as he was chewing on the block.

"Oh no, it's a monster! He's attacking the castle!" shouted Ryoku.

Aomine giggled as he crawled over to the small building and began knocking the blocks out of the way, prompting Ryoku to laugh.

"Looks like the monster has won again," spoke Ryoku.

Aomine kept on going until he got to the couch. He tried his best to climb it, but his small muscles weren't ready to lift him up. Ryoku walked over and helped lift him up. After she set Aomine down, he looked over at Ryoku and started shaking his hand around.

"Yay! You're on top of the world!" shouted Ryoku. Aomine decided he didn't want to stay up there and fell down on top of Ryoku.

Ryoku started laughing, prompting Aomine to do the same.

In Seigai's house, the two weeks were nearly over. Satoshi and Kasumi had been keeping a careful eye on the power the machines were using, making sure that there was enough to run them properly. The pair also kept an eye on the status screens, making sure there was no sign of error. The progress bar on the screens read 99.1%

"He's almost there," spoke Satoshi.

"All that's left are his feet," replied Kasumi.

The couple decided to wait. They figured it would only take a couple more hours for the equipment to finish. The pair ended up drifting off into a short sleep as the machines finished. When they were finally finished, the machines removed all of the gas that had been keeping Seigai asleep. At some point in the procedure, the glass was fogged up, preventing anyone from being able to see inside. The chamber automatically opened once the gas was clear. After a few minutes, Seigai woke up. He opened up his eyes, and took a look around. He was glad to notice he now had two, and both of them were working just fine. He turned around and stood up on his new legs. He was glad to see that both of them were also working just fine. He moved his hands and arms around just to be sure they were working, too. At that, Seigai decided to take a look at himself in the mirror.

"Huh, not bad. Not too bad at all. I could get used to this," spoke Seigai, as he noticed the pair of sleeping gardevoir next to him.

"You guys did well. You deserve a little rest. I think I'll go make myself something to eat... after being supplied with the minimum nutrition needed to survive for two weeks, I could use some real food," spoke Seigai, as he made his way to the kitchen.

After an hour or so, Kasumi and Satoshi finally woke up. They noticed two things: they had a blanket put on them, and the machine that held Seigai was empty.

"Kasumi! Are you awake!" shouted Satoshi.

"Huh... what is it, dear?" asked Kasumi.

"He's gone!" shouted Satoshi.

"Who's gone?" asked Kasumi, who was only half awake.

"Seigai! He's gone!" shouted Satoshi.

"Huh? Seigai? Seigai!" shouted Kasumi, as she was snapped into full consciousness.

"Where do you think he went?" asked Kasumi.

"I don't know," spoke Satoshi, as he got off of the chair he was on. Satoshi peered out into the hallway to see smoke coming from the kitchen.

"I found him," spoke Satoshi, with a somewhat irritated tone in his voice, "and he still can't cook to save himself."

"Smoked out the kitchen again?" asked Kasumi, in the same tone of voice as Satoshi.

"Yep," replied Satoshi, as he headed for the kitchen. Kasumi joined him.

"Seigai?" asked Satoshi.

"Oh! You guys are awake? Just in time! I decided to fry up some eggs! Want an egg sandwich, or do you just want it served to you on a plate?" asked Seigai.

"How burnt are they?" asked Kasumi.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. Only the first one came out as a burnt cinder. The rest are just fine," spoke Seigai.

"Well, we can't blame this on his new body," spoke Kasumi.

"That fact that he's still doing everything the same just proves that he's back to normal," spoke Satoshi.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, this is why Akane and Kasumi should be left to do the cooking. I can't get better if I don't practice," spoke Seigai.

"But you can get worse," spoke Kasumi, as she let out a cough from the smoke filling the room.

"Oops..." muttered Seigai.

"Well, once we're done here, would you like to start the tests?" asked Satoshi.

"Ah, yes, those. We should. Yeah, we can do that after we're done here," spoke Seigai.

After consuming some burnt eggs, the group prepared to run the tests on Seigai to make sure everything was working properly. He passed all of the tests, much to his relief.

"Well, now that this is over, I should start training myself. I don't suppose you guys would be able to teach me some things?" asked Seigai.

"We could, but first, maybe you should put a shirt on," spoke Kasumi.

"Hm? Oh... right... I didn't even think about it. Well, at least I don't need any pants," spoke Seigai before looking down, "On second thought, pants would probably help, too."

Satoshi and Kasumi mumbled to themselves. They had grown to appreciate his odd personality, but there were some things they could learn to live without. Still, they knew their daughter had loved him dearly, and did their best to see him in that light. After Seigai was dressed, he prepared himself for training. However, Satoshi and Kasumi told him to wait for at least a couple of weeks, just to be on the safe side.

A few months had passed since Ryoku, Hatsumi, and Sakashi were put in the care of Mizuho and Muzo. The pair had finally grown accustomed to raising ralts. They frequently had problems with the children trying to use their abilities in places they shouldn't, but such problems were the only problems they had.

One night, before going to sleep, the children were talking about what they had been doing during the day.

"Man, I sure had fun moving around all those rocks. I didn't think I would be able to lift up something as big as myself," spoke Sakashi.

"I wish you thought that when you decided to lift me up!" shouted Hatsumi.

"It wasn't that bad. It's not like I took you up that high," spoke Sakashi.

"I was six feet off the ground!" shouted Hatsumi.

"That's about the height of Uncle Muzo. It wasn't that high up," replied Sakashi.

"You're lucky I didn't get the chance to lift you up that high," spoke Hatsumi.

"I was hoping you would. It looked like fun to me!" shouted Sakashi.

"Why you!" shouted Hatsumi.

"Easy, you two. Don't argue like that," spoke Ryoku.

"What? You should learn some moves. You could have some fun with us instead of playing with the baby all day," spoke Sakashi.

"But I like playing with Ao. He always makes me laugh with his little antics. He likes being 'king of the world' when I put him on the couch, and he's always so happy," spoke Ryoku.

"He's happy until Aunt Mizuho has to change his diaper, or if he wants something to eat," spoke Hatsumi.

"He's happy the rest of the time!" shouted Ryoku.

"It would be nice if he could learn to talk with us. Since he can't, it's kind of boring to just sit around and play with him all day," spoke Sakashi.

"He doesn't have to talk, just have fun. He knows how to do that!" shouted Ryoku.

"Now look who's yelling at who," spoke Hatsumi, chuckling at how Ryoku was trying to break up an argument, only to end up in one herself.

At that moment, the three of them stopped suddenly, and looked around. They could have sworn that someone was there with them in their bedroom.

"Who's there?" asked Hatsumi.

"Uncle Muzo? Aunt Mizuho?" asked Sakashi.

"Ao? Did you find a way out of your crib?" asked Ryoku.

The three children did not get an answer.

"We must be seeing things," spoke Sakashi, "There's nothing in here with us."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Hatsumi.

"I'm sure. I didn't see the door or window open, and there was no one in here before, so there shouldn't be anyone in here now," spoke Sakashi.

"What if they were hiding in the closet?" asked Ryoku.

"The closet? I doubt it," spoke Sakashi.

"Then why don't you go look?" asked Hatsumi.

"Um... sure," spoke Sakashi, hesitating to get out of his bed. He knew he had to in order to not be made fun of by his sisters. He had to be the "man" between the three of them, and decided to go look in the closet. He slowly opened the door. His sisters hid themselves under the sheets as the door slid open. Much to Sakashi's relief, there was no one in there.

"See? What did I tell you? There's no one in here," spoke Sakashi, as he closed the closet door, and returned to his bed. His sisters finally pulled themselves out from under their sheets.

"That was such a strange feeling. It really did feel like there was someone in here," spoke Hatsumi.

"It was just your imagination. I want to go to sleep now. Good night," spoke Sakashi, as he turned off the light by his bed with some weak telekinesis.

"Good night," replied his sisters, as the group of three drifted off to sleep.

Months became years as the children and Aomine continued to grow. It had been five years since Seigai had left them in the care of Muzo and Mizuho. Sakashi, as hard as he was training himself, had become the first of the siblings to evolve into a kirlia, much to the surprise of the other two. This only inspired Hatsumi to double her efforts in her own training. Ryoku continued to spend most of her time with Ao. She was delighted when Ao had finally learned how to talk a few years ago, and was glad to have someone else to talk to other than her sister and brother. The group also continued to feel the odd presence they had felt the one night they were talking together. Every time, all three of them would feel it, but when they would go to look around, they would never find anything. Sakashi was hoping he would be able to find it when he became a kirlia, but he still found himself unable to find anything, much to his disappointment.

"Man, I thought for sure I found it this time. I was this close," spoke Sakashi, and he spread two of his fingers a couple of millimeters apart to emphasize his point.

"It's weird how it's been showing up regularly like that. I still think this place is haunted," spoke Hatsumi.

"Haunted? There's no such things as ghosts. Ghost-types, but not ghosts," spoke Sakashi.

Kasumi and Satoshi would visit every now and then. After a couple of years, the couple thought they should start teaching the children the basics of the pokemon world. They were eager to learn, hoping it would help them to become stronger. Thanks to their motivation, they soaked up all the information given to them like a sponge. Kasumi and Satoshi were glad their children were such fast learners. They would also give messages to them from Seigai. Seigai would often make handwritten letters for them. Satoshi and Kasumi decided to teach the children how to read and write, so they could both read the letters, and write messages to send back. They felt communicating with their father would make for the perfect motivation to teach them reading and writing, along with the other things they were taught.

"You know that, I'm going to set a trap tonight," spoke Sakashi.

"A trap?" asked his sisters.

"Yeah, a trap. If there really is a person coming to our room, then I'll make sure to catch 'em," spoke Sakashi.

"I wonder why I never see anything," spoke Aomine, as he approached the three pokemon.

Aomine now had short, dark brown hair in a bowl cut and wore a green shirt with tan shorts, white socks, and black sneakers.

"Maybe it's because we're psychics," spoke Sakashi.

"I'm sure you could learn to sense it," spoke Ryoku.

"You think so? It would be cool to do some of the things you guys do," spoke Aomine.

"I don't think a human can be a psychic," spoke Hatsumi.

"But there are those people on TV, the ones that say to call them for predictions of the future," spoke Aomine.

"Humans can predict the future?" asked Sakashi.

"That's what they say," spoke Aomine.

"Maybe we should call one of them?" asked Ryoku.

"I don't think it would work if you guys called them," spoke Aomine.

"Why not?" asked Hatsumi.

"Only we can understand you guys. They would just here you saying your names over and over again," spoke Aomine.

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting about that," spoke Sakashi.

"We get so used to talking to each other that we forget most humans can't understand us," spoke Hatsumi.

"Maybe we could learn to talk one day, like grandma and grandpa," spoke Ryoku.

"Maybe. I might try to learn after I evolve again. It might be weird trying to learn now, and then end up having to learn again with a new body," spoke Sakashi.

"I wonder when I'll finally evolve into a kirlia?" asked Hatsumi.

"Who knows? Could be any day now. I can't wait until I finally become a gardevoir!" shouted Sakashi.

"I'll beat you to it! Just you watch and see!" shouted Hatsumi.

"It's not a race, guys. I don't mind waiting. I'm not in any rush to evolve," spoke Ryoku.

"Why not?" asked Aomine.

"Well, I don't want to get really tall too quick. It would be harder to play with you if I was really tall," replied Ryoku.

"Oh, that's right. Gardevoir are as tall as adults," spoke Aomine.

"That's because gardevoir are adults. All the more reason for me to evolve as fast as I can!" shouted Sakashi.

"I'll beat you to it yet!" shouted Hatsumi, as her eyes started to glow blue.

"Oh, want to have another psychic duel? You know what happened last time, right?" asked Sakashi.

"Just because you evolved doesn't mean you are stronger!" shouted Hatsumi, as she unleashed psychic upon her brother. Sakashi countered by using his own psychic to keep himself pinned down.

"Okay then, psychic tug of war, just like last time. First one to knock the other off their feet wins!" shouted Sakashi, as his eyes started to glow blue. The pair of Hatsumi and Sakashi started their duel, each trying to send the other flying off into the sky.

"There they go again..." muttered Ryoku.

"How come you never join them?" asked Aomine.

"I don't want to fight like that. I want to fight _with_ someone, not against someone," replied Ryoku.

"Like a double battle?" asked Aomine.

"Kind of like with a trainer, but not," spoke Ryoku.

"Like with a trainer?" asked Aomine.

"I don't want to be captured. I don't want to be stuck in some stuffy little pokeball while my brother and sister get to have fun, but I want to have a partner that's like a trainer. Someone warm and kind, someone who would look after me and make sure that nothing would happen to me. And then we could take on the trainers of the world, and maybe one day become champions together!" shouted Ryoku.

"Sounds like fun!" shouted Aomine.

"It looks like fun on TV. That's why I want to do it!" shouted Ryoku.

"But shouldn't you train?" asked Aomine.

"I want to wait until I have someone to train with," replied Ryoku.

"Then I hope you find someone fun to train you soon," spoke Aomine.

"Maybe," spoke Ryoku.

At that moment, Sakashi went flying off into the air, getting sent across the yard, and into a boulder they had been lifting the day before for practice.

"Ow..." muttered Sakashi, as he fell unconscious.

"Ha! See! Bigger isn't always better... huh?" asked Hatsumi, as she started to glow brightly. Within a moment, the light completely eclipsed her form. She became a white silhouette. Then she began to change form, getting a little bigger, her hair seeming to grow out to the sides, while her horn split into two parts. Soon, the light started to fade, and Hatsumi appeared as a kirlia.

"Whoa... I evolved!" shouted Hatsumi with glee. She did a quick little spin, enjoying how agile her new body was.

"Yay!" shouted Hatsumi.

"Sakashi! Are you okay!" shouted Ryoku, as she ran over to her brother. Aomine followed.

"Huh? Auntie Mizuho? Uncle Muzo? Is that you?" asked Sakashi.

"He's gone," spoke Aomine, while he started to laugh. Ryoku started to giggle. Hatsumi walked over to Sakashi, pulled him up, and looked him straight in the eye.

"See what happens when you get overconfident?" asked Hatsumi.

"Beginners luck..." muttered Sakashi. Hatsumi frowned before dropping him back on the ground. Ryoku and Aomine helped him back up.

"I think we should go back inside now," spoke Aomine.

"Inside? Yeah... that sounds like fun," replied Sakashi.

Sakashi spent the rest of the day recovering. He couldn't even levitate after exhausting all of his power in his duel. He continued to be shocked at his loss. After dinner that night, he felt well enough to set up his trap for the strange being that seemingly kept appearing in their room. Aomine joined them.

"Okay, we'll get this guy this time!" shouted Sakashi.

"You really think this is going to work?" asked Hatsumi.

"You have a better idea?" asked Sakashi.

"It's simple, so it should work," spoke Ryoku.

"Yeah! All those complicated things break," replied Aomine.

"Exactly!" shouted Sakashi.

"But it's just a little grabber claw and a string!" shouted Hatsumi.

"It'll work, just you watch," spoke Sakashi.

The children pretended to go to sleep. They kept quiet by talking to each other through telepathy.

"_Maybe he's not coming tonight," _spoke Ryoku.

"_He'll be here. I just know he will,"_ spoke Sakashi.

"_I hope he's here so I can laugh when your trap doesn't work,"_ spoke Hatsumi.

"_I just want to sense him,"_ spoke Aomine, who was talking through Ryoku.

At the moment, all four sensed something, followed by the snapping of Sakashi's trap. Sakashi quickly turned on the light and jumped out of his bed.

"Hah! Got you!" shouted Sakashi. He looked at his trap to find it had appeared to snap on its own.

"Huh? But I felt it! And the trap snapped!" shouted Sakashi.

"Told you it wouldn't work!" shouted Hatsumi.

"So that's what it feels like?" asked Aomine.

"I think you felt it because I had our minds linked. Maybe if we do that enough times, you'll learn how to do it on your own," spoke Ryoku.

"Maybe. It sure would be fun to have psychic powers!" shouted Aomine.

"What's going on in here?" asked Muzo, as he entered the room.

"We were trying to catch the thing we keep sensing," spoke Hatsumi.

"I almost got him this time!" shouted Sakashi.

"Well, it's getting late now. The four of you need to get some sleep. Come on Aomine, you should go to your own room," spoke Muzo.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" asked Aomine.

"Well... okay, but you need to sleep. If I have to come back here again, you'll be going right on back to your own room, okay?" asked Muzo.

"Okay!" replied Aomine with a smile.

"Yay! Ao gets to sleep with us tonight!" shouted Ryoku.

"Goodnight you guys," spoke Muzo.

"Goodnight uncle Muzo," spoke the three pokemon.

"Goodnight, dad," spoke Aomine.

A few more more years had passed. There was still no sign of Seigai. Kasumi and Satoshi would continue to deliver letters back and forth to the children. Seigai thought the "presence" they were sensing was a weird delusion they were having. He thought it was funny how Sakashi had tried to trap it. He was proud of Sakashi and Hatsumi for getting strong enough to evolve. He had a good laugh at Sakashi's expense when he read about the duel they had. Seigai reminded him that it wasn't always about strength.

Now, Aomine, Ryoku, Sakashi, and Hatsumi were ten. Ryoku remained as a ralts. She sighed at how tall Aomine was getting, debating on whether or not she should continue to wait until she found the right trainer for herself. In the end, she decided to keep waiting. It was about three in the afternoon, and Sakashi and Hatsumi were having another one of their bouts.

"Dodge this one!" shouted Sakashi, as he attempted to use psychic. Hatsumi made her way out of the path of the attack, and followed up with confusion. Sakashi was too busy with his previous attack to be able to dodge. He saw the familiar purple aura form around him, telling him that it was already too late. Sakashi was taken into the air, and knocked back into the ground.

"Guess it's time to bust out the new move... psybeam!" shouted Sakashi, as he formed psychic energy into his hand, and let out a blast towards Hatsumi. Hatsumi took to the air, and smiled, seeing as she had a chance to do something else.

"Nice new trick, now here's one I picked up from grandma and grandpa! Shadow ball!" shouted Hatsumi, as she formed a ball of ghost energy in her hand. She threw the ball at Sakashi, and hit him head on. He was surprised at the strength of the attack, and fell down right away.

"I win!" shouted Hatsumi.

"Ow ow... why does that hurt so much..." muttered Sakashi.

"Remember what your grandpa and grandma were saying about type match ups?" asked Aomine.

"That was a ghost-type move. Moves of that type are super effective against us," spoke Ryoku.

"Oh..." muttered Sakashi, as his head hit the ground.

"Maybe now you'll pay attention a little more... huh?" spoke Hatsumi, as she began to glow. Her body was enveloped in a familiar light once again. This time, her height shot up to roughly five feet. As the glow subsided, Hatsumi stood up as a gardevoir. Her standout feature was her shorter hair, which stopped just about her neck. She looked around, moved her arms and legs, then jumped up for joy.

"Yes! I did it! I became a gardevoir first!" shouted Hatsumi.

"Sakashi will never believe it when he sees this!" shouted Ryoku.

"Amazing! You were so short before, and now, you're so tall and pretty!" shouted Aomine.

"Ha ha, thanks," spoke Hatsumi, as she walked over to her brother, knelt down, and looked him in the eye.

"Oh Sakashi!" shouted Hatsumi.

"Huh?" asked Sakashi.

"Look at this!" shouted Hatsumi, as she did a quick spin for Sakashi. Once he realized what was going on, his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"No way! I evolved first last time! Why did you evolve first this time!" shouted Sakashi.

"It's because I worked harder this time around. Now I only have to do a little more training before I'll be strong enough to help dad out. I can't wait to tell him about this. He won't believe it when I tell him that I evolved into a gardevoir.

"I'll catch up to you, and be a gardevoir before you know it. I can't let you stay ahead of me for too long!" shouted Sakashi.

"Those two will be in another duel before long," spoke Aomine.

"That's how it always is with those two, Ao. They might be evolved and everything, but that doesn't mean they've matured any," spoke Ryoku, as she watched her siblings continue to bicker back and forth with one another.

"Dinner time!" shouted Mizuho.

"Ah, the one thing that always ends their arguments!" shouted Ryoku.

"And just in time," spoke Aomine.

The group entered the house for their dinner. Muzo and Mizuho congratulated Hatsumi for evolving into a gardevoir. Hatsumi enjoyed being able to sit at the table without the help of a booster seat. Ryoku smiled, happy for her sister, while Sakashi continued to mutter to himself about how he felt ripped off.

After their meal, Muzo and Mizuho said they had a surprise for everyone.

"Today is a special day," spoke Muzo.

"Why is that, uncle Muzo?" asked Sakashi.

"Exactly ten years ago today was when you guys first came here. It's been a fun ten years, hasn't it?" asked Mizuho.

"It sure has!" shouted Ryoku.

"I thought we would commemorate the moment with some gifts for you," spoke Mizuho.

"Really?" asked Hatsumi.

"Yep, enjoy, guys," spoke Muzo, as he and his wife pulled out four gift wrapped packages. Sakashi was the first to get his. It was big and long. He quickly opened it up.

"No way! A real katana!" shouted Sakashi, "and a practice sword to go with it! Thanks Uncle Muzo and Aunt Mizuho!"

"You can use it when you finally become a gardevoir. Don't try to use it now, it'll be too heavy for your smaller body," spoke Muzo.

"Yes, sir!" shouted Sakashi.

Hatsumi was next. Her package as a lot smaller. She carefully opened it to find a small jewelry box inside with a silver necklace.

"Oh my, how beautiful!" shouted Hatsumi with glee, "Thank you!"

Ryoku had the largest gift of the three. She couldn't wait to see what was in it. When she opened it up, she found a dress with an ornate pattern on it. The pattern consisted of blue waves, while the top look liked clouds, making the dress as a whole look like a view of the ocean. She noticed it was the size of a gardevoir dress.

"For you when you finally become a gardevoir," spoke Mizuho.

"I can't wait! I'll wear it the day I finally evolve!" shouted Ryoku in delight.

Aomine was the last to receive a gift. His was a small box he quickly tore open. His eyes glowed with delight.

"Awesome! The Trainer Game, Red Star Version! Thanks mom and dad!" shouted Aomine.

"You're welcome, son," spoke Muzo.

"I hope you enjoy it," spoke Mizuho.

For the next few days, Aomine was hooked into playing his new game. Ryoku watched as he did, looking on with interest at it. The game itself was more of a simulation than a game, and was often given to children in order to help them develop their skills as trainers.

"Wow, that was a close one, just like that duel Hatsumi and Sakashi had a couple of days ago," spoke Aomine.

"Yeah! That sure does look like fun. I wonder if that's what it's like to be a trainer?" asked Ryoku.

"If it is, then I want to be one. It sure would be fun getting to travel the world like this, seeing all the different pokemon there are, taking on gym leaders, and all the awesome battles!" shouted Aomine.

"If you did become a trainer, would you let me join you?" asked Ryoku.

"Of course! You're my best friend. It's a lot more fun if you travel with friends, right?" asked Aomine. 

"Right!" shouted Ryoku.

A few more years passed. Aomine was finally sixteen, the age where he could apply for his trainer's license. He was so excited, he applied right away, and prepared himself for the test. Aomine found that it was relatively easy, after learning so much from Satoshi and Kasumi, as well as the pokemon he lived with. He happily accepted his license, his first pokeballs, and his pokedex. When offered a choice for his first pokemon, he said he already had a pokemon. He made his way home with a huge smile on his face.

"How did it go?" asked Ryoku, who was still a ralts. Sakashi had finally managed to evolved a few months after Hatsumi, and was now a gardevoir. He now spent most of his time training on how to use his katana, while Hatsumi continued to develop her psychic powers.

"It went great! I got my license!" shouted Aomine, as he held it up with pride.

"Congratulations, Ao!" shouted Ryoku, as she ran up and hugged his leg.

"So, did what pokemon did you pick to be your first?" asked Ryoku.

"Well, you of course! I can't think of anyone else I'd want to travel with!" shouted Aomine.

"Oh... thank you!" shouted Ryoku, and she held Aomine's leg tighter.

"I can't wait to start our journey. I'll leave as soon as I have everything I need at the end of the week!" shouted Aomine.

"Wait, we're going to leave so soon?" asked Ryoku.

"Of course! Ever since I got my first Trainer Game, I've been wanting to start on this journey. And now, it's finally going to become a reality," spoke Aomine.

"Oh..." muttered Ryoku.

"What's wrong, Ryo?" asked Aomine.

"I don't want to go just yet," replied Ryoku.

"Huh? Why not?" asked Aomine.

"Ao, I want to be here when father finally comes back. I don't want to miss out on seeing him again. It's already been almost sixteen years since he left," spoke Ryoku.

"But you said you wanted to go as soon as possible," replied Aomine.

"I know, but at the time, I thought father would have been back. I didn't think it would take this long. I don't want to go someplace where I would end up not being able to see him," spoke Ryoku.

"Oh... well... I don't have to leave right away," spoke Aomine.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hold you back on your journey," spoke Ryoku.

"It wouldn't be right without you. I can't just go and get another pokemon to be with me. You're special to me. I just couldn't bear the idea of starting this journey without you. Besides, we can always train here together, right? You did say that you wanted to be with a trainer. Well, now that I'm a trainer, we can finally start!" shouted Aomine.

"Thank you, Ao," spoke Ryoku.

"Don't worry about it. This just means that when we finally get to start our journey, we'll already be a step ahead of everyone else!" shouted Aomine.

"That's right! We'll be the best pair ever!" shouted Ryoku.

"So, where should be begin?" asked Aomine.

"Maybe we should start in the forest. There are plenty of pokemon out there to train against," spoke Ryoku.

"Alright! Let's go!' shouted Aomine.

The pair of Aomine and Ryoku headed off to the woods outside of Hayashi. They didn't have to go far before they ran into a rattata.

"Alright, time for out first pokemon fight together!" shouted Aomine.

"I'm ready!" shouted Ryoku.

"Rattata ta!" shouted the pokemon, as it tackled Ryoku.

"Ryoku! Are you okay?" asked Aomine.

Ryoku used confusion to lift the pokemon off of herself.

"Just fine. Now what?" asked Ryoku.

"Hit it with psychic!" shouted Aomine.

"I don't know psychic yet," replied Ryoku, as she got out of the way of another tackle.

"Oh... well then, hit it with confusion!" shouted Aomine.

Ryoku's eyes glowed purple as she picked the rattata up and hurled it against the ground. The rattata stumbled as it tried to pick itself up.

"One more time!" shouted Aomine.

Ryoku used confusion again, and the rattata was finally down for the count.

"Awesome! Our first victory!" shouted Aomine.

"That was fun... well, I didn't like being tackled, but the rest was fun!" shouted Ryoku.

"Want to find some more to fight?" asked Aomine.

"Sure!" shouted Ryoku.

The pair continued with their training until the evening. They knew it was getting late when they spotted a hoothoot. After Ryoku took down the pokemon, the pair headed back to their home for dinner.

The pair of Ryoku and Aomine continued to train together. Though Aomine wanted to start on his journey, he was willing to honor Ryoku's desire to await the return of her father. Seigai continued to send his letters to his children. When told of Aomine's desire to start his journey, Seigai said he didn't mind if Ryoku left with him, and that he would make sure he would see her again someday. However, Ryoku remained firm in her desire to make sure she saw her father first, and remained with Mizuho and Muzo.

"I don't think we've been this deep into the forest before," spoke Aomine.

"You're right. This is as far was we've ever gotten," spoke Ryoku.

The pair were now at the age of eighteen. Ryoku was still a ralts, but she didn't mind. She was in no rush to evolve. She did secretly hope that she would be a gardevoir by the time she met her father again, but she never mentioned this out loud to Aomine. She didn't want to pressure him into training her extra hard. While Ryoku would train on her own every now and then, she preferred to train with Aomine. After waiting so long to train with someone, she didn't want to start doing things on her own.

"It's starting to get dark out here, perhaps we should start heading back?" asked Ryoku.

"Just a little longer. It won't take us long to get back. We aren't that far into the forest, really," spoke Aomine.

"Okay," replied Ryoku.

The pair continued on the worn down path at a steady pace before suddenly stopping.

"Did you feel that?" asked Aomine.

"I did. I don't like it," spoke Ryoku.

"Perhaps this would be a good time to turn back?" asked Aomine.

"I think you're right. I think we should start heading back about now," spoke Ryoku.

As the pair turned around, a loud flapping noise surrounded them. The two looked into the trees to find they were surrounded by six noctowl.

"Noc noctowl!" shouted the noctowl nearest to Aomine.

"What is he saying?" asked Aomine.

"We've intruded on his territory. Relax, we're just leaving," spoke Ryoku.

The noctowl said nothing before taking a dive at Aomine, forcing him to duck.

"I don't think he cares if we leave or not!" shouted Aomine.

"Noctowl!" shouted the same noctowl.

"No, he doesn't!" shouted Ryoku.

At that point, all six noctowl began to attack the pair. Aomine was hit on the head by a sky attack, and knocked onto the ground. He was shaky to stand back up.

"Ao!" shouted Ryoku.

"I'm alright!" shouted Aomine, as he got back to his feet. Blood was trickling down his forehead from the wound he was given.

"No you're not! You're bleeding!" shouted Ryoku.

"Worry about it later! Ryo, use your psychic attack!" shouted Aomine.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" shouted Ryoku, as her eyes began to glow blue. One of the noctowl saw what was happening, and hit Ryoku with its own sky attack, sending her on her back.

"Ryo!" shouted Aomine, as a noctowl tackled him, knocking the wind out of him. Another noctowl took a peck at his head, nearly knocking him unconscious. Two more noctowl hit Ryoku again, not allowing her a chance to fight back.

"_Ryo... don't tell me it's going to end like this..."_ thought Aomine. He was about to lose consciousness when he saw a beaten Ryoku stand up. He saw her glow with a bright, white light. This light began to change form before dissipating, revealing Ryoku as a kirlia.

"Enough's enough! Psychic!" shouted Ryoku, as her eyes glowed a deep blue. With her increased speed, the noctowl were not able to get to her in time. She managed to get three of them with her attack, and slammed them into each other, knocking each of them out instantly. She turned her attention to the three noctowl attacking Aomine, and managed to get two of them with another psychic attack, crashing them into each other. The only noctowl left was the leader of the group.

The last noctowl looked at Ryoku, knowing that she was no ordinary pokemon.

"You're different. I can sense it. There's something different about you from other pokemon," spoke the noctowl.

"I'm all full of surprises," spoke Ryoku, as she charged her psychic energy and fired out a psybeam. The noctowl was quick to evade.

"This one is faster than the others," spoke Aomine, as he was able to get up. He had no idea what the noctowl was saying to Ryoku, and at the moment, he didn't really care.

"Ryoku, use double team!" shouted Aomine.

"Okay!" shouted Ryoku, as she made illusory copies of her self. She kept switching up with her copies in order to trick the noctowl, hoping to give herself an opening once he attacked one of them. The noctowl looked carefully, trying to figure out which was which, before finally striking with a sky attack. Ryoku noted he was heading for one of her copies.

"Psychic!" shouted Aomine.

Ryoku smiled as she caught the noctowl in the trap Aomine told her to prepare. She lifted the noctowl into the air as it flapped in a struggle to get free.

"Never hurt me or my friends again!" shouted Ryoku, as she slammed the noctowl into the nearest tree. The bark flew off at the point of impact. As Ryoku dropped the noctowl, it was clear that it was knocked out.

"Ryo! Are you alright!" shouted Aomine, as he ran up to her.

"I'm okay. I need to get you home to get you bandaged up. Looks like those guys really gave you a beating," spoke Ryoku.

"Yeah... I guess we should start walking," spoke Aomine.

"I have a better idea, hold onto my hand," spoke Ryoku.

"Okay," replied Aomine.

Ryoku smiled as she jumped up and gave Aomine a hug.

"Hee hee. Teleport," spoke Ryoku.

Aomine was blushing too much to hear what she said. He snapped out of his daze when he saw a white light, then felt the sensation of himself being stretched up and then back down. He stood stunned for a moment as he looked around his living room, surprised to be there so suddenly.

"Wow... they didn't tell me it felt like that," spoke Ryoku, who was also slightly dazed, yet still holding onto Aomine.

"Aomine? And... is that Ryoku?" asked Hatsumi, who was in the living room at the time of the pair arriving.

"Huh? Yeah, it's us," spoke Aomine.

"What happened to you two?" asked Hatsumi, as she took note of Aomine's injuries.

"It's just a scratch. We were attacked by a group of noctowl," replied Aomine.

"I'll get some bandages," spoke Hatsumi, as she walked off.

"That was a close one," spoke Aomine.

"Maybe, but I wasn't worried," spoke Ryoku.

"You weren't?" asked Aomine.

"Of course not, Ao. As long as I have you there, there's no need for me to worry about anything," spoke Ryoku.

"Uh... thanks... Ryo," replied Aomine, as he was blushing.

"Ao... hee hee. Hey Ao, we've been partners like this now for two years, right?" asked Ryoku.

"Yeah. Two awesome years as partners, eighteen years as best friends," replied Aomine.

"Best friends... have you ever thought of me as more than a friend?" asked Ryoku.

"More than a friend... well... uh..." spoke Aomine.

"_Well, maybe a little. I have always felt something with her, something more than what I feel when I'm with her siblings, and she is really cute. I'll bet she'll be even prettier as a gardevoir, but... what is this feeling? It's more than like... is it... am I in love with her?" _thought Aomine to himself absent mindedly.

"I hope so, because I certainly love you," spoke Ryoku, as she used her telekinesis to levitate herself up to Aomine's face, and gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

"Those noctowl must have hit me pretty hard... I never forget to control my thoughts around you," replied Aomine, with a blush.

"Ao?" asked Ryoku.

"Ryo?" replied Aomine.

"Do you really believe it? That you love me?" asked Ryoku.

"I... I do, Ryoku. I have for a while now, just never really could find a way to say it," spoke Aomine.

"I was hoping you did," spoke Ryoku.

"You... you never really wanted a trainer, did you?" asked Aomine.

"Maybe," spoke Ryoku.

"You wanted to be with me, right?" asked Aomine.

"Of course! I just figured you being a trainer would make things convenient," replied Ryoku.

"You really are the sly one, aren't you?" asked Aomine, as he started to chuckle.

"I'm a psychic, it's in my nature," replied Ryoku, as she started to giggle.

"You know, it's funny you wanted me to be a trainer so we could travel together. I wanted to be a trainer for the same reason," spoke Aomine.

"Ha ha, I've trained you well," spoke Ryoku.

At this point, the pair had broken into full blown laughter. Upon hearing the noise, Hatsumi returned to the room with the pair, thinking something had happened. She was perplexed at the sight of the two laughing for seemingly no reason.

"Eh?" asked Hatsumi, as she carried the bandages over to Aomine.

"I can take care of the rest, thank you Hatsumi," spoke Ryoku.

"Oh, sure... no problem," spoke Hatsumi, as she sat back down on the couch, trying to relax while Mizuho, Muzo, and Sakashi were out. Ryoku gently cleaned and bandaged the wounds on Aomine before she and Hatsumi decided to cook a quick meal for the three of them.

From that point on, Ryoku and Aomine were much more careful about where they ventured, at least until Ryoku was a little stronger. Aomine never caught another pokemon, not being able to bring himself to have someone other than Ryoku with him. The two also started to build a more romantic relationship with one another. Aomine felt it was a little awkward at first, seeing as Ryoku was still a kirlia, but he knew she would one day evolve and looked forward to it.

Two more years passed, making it roughly twenty years since the day Seigai had to leave his children with Muzo and Mizuho. Aomine and Ryoku were out in a clearing in the woods. They had been attacked by the raticate populating a nest they wandered too close to. Ryoku was able to take care of them without much effort, merely needing to rest.

"Those raticate were rather bothersome, weren't they?" asked Aomine.

"Oh, they weren't that tough. It was just that there were so many of them. I can only use my abilities so many times, even if I tone down how much power I put behind my attacks," replied Ryoku.

"At least we can rest out here for a little while. With a clearing this big, I doubt any pokemon will leap out and challenge us," spoke Aomine.

"That be nice," spoke Ryoku, as she crawled on top of Aomine, and lay down on his stomach.

Aomine now had his hair hair in a spiky ponytail. He always wore a pair of cargo pants with a loose t-shirt. He would use the pockets in place of a bag for his various trainer supplies. Today, he had on camo style pants with a black shirt.

The pair continued to enjoy their rest. Aomine was about to pull out a couple of snacks he had brought with him when he heard a rumble off in the distance.

"Did you hear that, Ryo?" asked Aomine.

"I did. What on earth was it?" asked Ryoku.

The rumbling started to get louder. Aomine and Ryoku stood at the ready. Suddenly, an onix appeared before them. The large pokemon let out a loud roar.

"So much for a peaceful afternoon..." muttered Aomine.

"I don't think it's in a good mood..." spoke Ryoku. The pair quickly jumped out of the way of an iron tail attack.

"This guy isn'y picking targets!" shouted Aomine.

"You're telling me!" shouted Ryoku.

"Guess it's now or never. Hit it with psychic!" shouted Aomine.

"Sure thing!" shouted Ryoku, as her eyes began to glow blue. She attempted to hurl the onix about, but found she could, at best, cause it to trip itself up and knock it's head on the ground. Ryoku attempted to hit it a few more times, each hit doing a little damage, but not enough to take the onix down.

"Got a better idea?" asked Ryoku, as he barely avoided another iron tail.

"Try hitting it with a psybeam," spoke Aomine.

"Why not?" asked Ryoku, as she charged her psychic energy. She pointed her right hand at the onix, and let loose a mutli-colored beam upon the onix. The beast was knocked to the ground, appearing to be knocked out.

"Good one!" shouted Aomine.

"I try," spoke Ryoku, as she turned around to walk back towards Aomine. Suddenly, the onix snapped out of its daze, and charged at Ryoku, using a stone edge attack.

"Look out Ryo!" shouted Aomine.

Ryoku turned around just in time to be hit by the attack. She was knocked back several feet, landing right next to Aomine. She coughed a little from the impact, and attempted to pick herself up.

"Ryo, are you okay?" asked Aomine.

"I've been better... look out!" screamed Ryoku.

Aomine looked up to see the onix charging at him with a tackle. Aomine held Ryoku in a protective embrace, closed his eyes, and readied himself for the impact. Aomine held still for several seconds, however, no attack ever came.

"Huh?" asked Aomine, as he opened his eyes. He noticed there was now a barrier surrounding him and Ryoku.

"Stand back, Ao. I can handle this," spoke Ryoku.

Aomine nodded, and set Ryoku down. At that moment, she glowed a bright white. The light covered her entire form. Before long, the form grew to being just short of five feet before fading to reveal Ryoku as a gardevoir. Aomine noticed her hair went down to the spike running through the center of her body.

"Ryo... amazing..." spoke Aomine.

"Have something in mind?" asked Ryoku.

"Try psychic again!" shouted Aomine.

"No problem," spoke Ryoku, as her eyes glowed blue once again. This time, she was able to launch the onix up high into the air. The huge beast wriggled and squirmed, trying to free itself from the force that held it up. After sending the onix up thirty feet in the air, Ryoku sent it crashing down into the ground several yards from where she and Aomine were, near the edge of the clearing. Trees snapped as the onix was slammed into the ground, kicking up a large amount of dust and debris. Aomine and Ryoku waited for the dust to settle before relaxing themselves. They noticed the onix was finally knocked out.

"Geez... that was like those noctowl from a couple years ago," spoke Aomine.

"Except just one, which happened to be stronger than the six of them put together," spoke Ryoku.

"I wonder what that creature is," spoke Aomine, as he pulled out his pokedex.

"Onix, the rock snake pokemon. This pokemon rapidly bores through the ground at fifty miles per hour by squirming and twisting it's massive, rugged body," came the voice of the pokedex.

"Huh, the pokedex says their habitat type is caves. There aren't any caves around here, as far as I know. Where did this guy come from?" asked Aomine.

"I don't know," spoke Ryoku.

At that point, the pair heard the sound of clapping coming from behind them.

"Ah, not bad, not bad," came the voice of a man. His body was obscured in shadows, making it impossible for him to be seen.

"Who are you?" asked Aomine.

"Stay back, Ao," spoke Ryoku.

"Huh?" asked Aomine.

"There's something off about this guy... and... I can feel his strength... this guy is really strong for a human. Too strong," spoke Ryoku.

"What do you want?" asked Aomine.

"Ho? Come now? Don't be so apprehensive," spoke the man, as he walked out of the shadows. He was about five foot ten, and had long, black hair coming out of a head wrap. His eyes were covered by a pair of thin, black, triangular sunglasses. The hand on a dark, long sleeve shirt with a padded vest covering over it, making it impossible to tell what kind of build he had, though his arms appeared to be fairly thin. He had on a pair of black gloves, and he was wearing some kind of white dress with a green inside over black jeans. The dress looked very much like that of a gardevoir.

"Why are you here?" asked Aomine.

"I just wanted to see how you two would do against that onix. I'm surprised you were able to defeat it. It looked like it was going to have the two of you for lunch, and yet that kirlia, well, now gardevoir, was somehow able to defeat it, despite being on the apex of defeat," replied the man.

"We just got lucky," spoke Ryoku, while moving to protect Aomine.

"Oh? Luck? No such thing in my world, kid. You either have talent or you don't. You have quite the hidden ability. A nice little power that always manifests itself right when it's needed. A shame you can't control it. That would make you quite the force to be reckoned with," replied the man.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you really want, but leave us alone," spoke Ryoku.

"Geez, so defensive. I'm not hear to hurt you. After all, why would I hurt my own daughter?" asked the man.

"Your daughter... father?" asked Ryoku.

The man coughed a few times in response.

"Uh, sorry. That dark voice is really hard to do," came the familiar voice of Seigai.

"Father!" shouted Ryoku, as she ran up and gave her father a hug.

"That guys is Mister Seigai?" asked Aomine, as he walked up to Seigai, and offered his hand.

"Ah, Aomine," spoke Seigai, as Ryoku allowed him the chance to shake the hand of Aomine.

"You've grown up. Last time I saw you, you were just a baby. And Ryoku, you were just a little ralts. Now you're a beautiful gardevoir. My, you look just like your mother," spoke Seigai.

"I'm glad to see you again, dad. I have to ask, though. What's with the odd clothing. It's a bit warm for the month of June," spoke Ryoku.

"I was wondering that myself," spoke Aomine.

"Ah, this. Well, I suppose I didn't want to freak you guys out, but I do agree, this outfit is most uncomfortable," spoke Seigai, as he began by removing his gloves. His vest and shirt came next, along with his head wrap. He finished by removing his sunglasses.

"Oh, almost forgot the last part," spoke Seigai, as he blotted off the makeup he was wearing on his face, leaving behind pale, white skin.

Aomine and Ryoku were in shock. They couldn't believe what they were seeing, and could only continue to stare at Seigai. He had the arms of a gardevoir, as well as the eyes and ears. His hair style matched that of a gardevoir in the front, though it flowed down his back to the red gardevoir spike going through his body. Unlike a normal gardevoir, his arms were much more thicker, though still thin relative to that of a human.

"Father? Is that really you?" asked Ryoku.

"It is. You remember how I was when I left, right?' asked Seigai.

"I remember. Your face was bandaged, and you didn't have any arms and legs," spoke Ryoku.

"Correct. It would have been a simple matter to just regenerate my body with the research I was working on, but I didn't think that would help me out too much against the members of the Union Corporation, so I took it one step further, and took the sample of your mother's DNA we used to regenerate her arm in order to make a human-gardevoir hybrid of my own DNA. I'd say it turned out fairly well," spoke Seigai.

"I thought you were only missing part of your face and your limbs," spoke Ryoku.

"So why all over like that?" asked Aomine.

"Well, I was missing my left eye and ear on my head. It would have thrown me off balance to have one human ear and eye and one gardevoir ear and eye, so I just redid both. As for the spike, it's a critical part of the gardevoir nervous system; I wouldn't be able to function properly without it. As for the skin, it was all over or I would have patches on my body," explained Seigai.

"That makes sense, I suppose," spoke Aomine.

"It's going to take some getting used to," spoke Ryoku.

"Maybe," spoke Seigai.

"So, does this mean that you finally got rid of the bad people that were after you?" asked Ryoku.

"Not quite. They are still around, and quite active. I've done all I can on my own, and now I need help," spoke Seigai.

"Help?" asked Aomine.

"That's right. I need the two of you to help me in order to take these guys down for good," spoke Seigai.


	4. Training and Reunion

_Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon_

**Chapter 4 – Training and Reunion**

"_Okay, so maybe I should leave Kasumi to the cooking... these eggs taste like crap,"_ thought Seigai, as he was eating the breakfast he himself had cooked. It was right after the procedure he set up was completed. He felt the need to eat, and fried eggs were the first thing on his mind.

"Don't tell me you were hoping you would somehow learn how to cook," spoke Satoshi.

"No, not really. I was hungry, and the first thing that popped into my head was eggs, so that's what I started cooking. Didn't really think about the rest of the details," spoke Seigai.

"The smartest person I know... and no common sense at all," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, at least he isn't stuck up about being an intellectual," spoke Kasumi.

"Even if I was, something like this would tone it down quite a bit," spoke Seigai, as he let out a sigh, "no one could cook like Akane."

"Yeah, she became quite the artist with it. Hard to believe she spent so much time wandering about," spoke Satoshi.

"Must have been in her nature to be the perfect wife," spoke Kasumi.

"Did you guys have the funeral yet?" asked Seigai.

"We already buried her; we had to do that. The actual funeral has yet to be conducted," replied Kasumi.

"I see... I was hoping to look upon her face one more time, but I realize that it would not have been wise to keep her body like that," spoke Seigai, "I wish we could at least have a nice funeral for her, but with things as they are right now, that would be impossible."

"Because it would allow them to find us, right?" asked Satoshi.

"Correct. Actually, Satoshi, both of us need to keep low for a while," replied Seigai.

"Why me?" asked Satoshi.

"Shin saw you. That hair cut of yours is hard to miss," answered Seigai.

Satoshi raised his hand to the right side of his head, feeling the place where it had been cut. It had been that way since he had a close call with a scyther some time ago, and for whatever reason, it never grew back.

"I never did learn why it never grew back. Always came back before; the left side still does," spoke Satoshi.

"I like your hair like that; it makes you stand out a little more. I think it looks handsome," spoke Kasumi.

"You would think the same if I was bald; that's why I love you so much," spoke Satoshi.

"I suppose I'll just have to do my best to remember Akane for the time being; we may never be able to give her a proper funeral; the least I can do is continue to honor her memory until the day I join her myself," spoke Seigai.

"As will we, Seigai," spoke Satoshi.

Seigai attempted to clean up the dishes, only to have Kasumi stop him.

"Huh?" asked Seigai.

"You might find a way to smoke up the house while you're cleaning. Maybe you should put a shirt on, or something," spoke Kasumi.

"You're just saying that. Gardevoir don't wear shirts, really," spoke Seigai.

"Oh?" asked Satoshi, as he pulled on the form fitting green top all gardevoir had.

"Okay, okay, I know, this comes off," spoke Seigai, as he tugged on the one he had, "but this would mean I'm wearing a shirt already... unless that was your attempt to keep me out of the kitchen?" 

"Well, I tried," spoke Kasumi.

"Well, it'll still work, really. This isn't really my style of dress... well, I could make the skirt work, but this top has got to go," spoke Seigai, as he headed to his room. He looked for a shirt to wear, found a black short sleeve he liked, and attempted to put it on, only to find he had one small problem.

"Oh crap..." muttered Seigai, as his shirt got stuck on the spike going through him.

Seigai kept forcing the shirt down until he finally ripped his spike through it.

"Okay... I think I'm going to need a new wardrobe... well, at least I can still wear pants... these skirts swing open a little to easy," spoke Seigai. He noted that even though gardevoir have a covering for their privates, it still felt odd to just expose himself anyway, after being a full blooded human for so long. He opted to wear a pair of boxers and blue jeans under his skirt.

"I think I like it. The skirt and dark colors work nicely, not that I'm a fashion diva, or anything," spoke Seigai to himself, as he made his way out of his room. When he made his way back into the living area, he was greeted by laughter.

"What?" asked Seigai.

"Lose the battle of the shirt?" asked Kasumi.

"Oh, come on! My shirts were designed to be worn my humans. I can't help it if I had to try and adjust it the hard way," spoke Seigai.

"Well, it looks like you did the front okay, but the back is torn so bad I'm surprised it isn't falling off," spoke Satoshi.

"Eh?" asked Seigai, as he felt around to his back. He could feel how exposed his back was from the terribly torn shirt.

"Okay, so that didn't work out too well," muttered Seigai.

"I can adjust your clothes for you, don't worry," spoke Kasumi.

"I would appreciate that," spoke Seigai, "so, now that I have this body, I'd like to see what it can do. Can you guys teach me some techniques I can use?"

"Not yet," spoke Kasumi.

"You should wait for at least a couple of weeks, just to be on the safe side," spoke Satoshi.

"Ah, right. I didn't even think about that. You're right, of course," replied Seigai.

"We could teach you other things, though," spoke Satoshi.

"Such as?" asked Seigai.

"Battle strategy. As much as you know as a researcher, I doubt you know much about handling pokemon battles," spoke Satoshi.

"That much is true. I've never even seen one, let alone fight in one. I never really was cut out for being a trainer," replied Seigai.

"We can teach you the basics, and help you out based on our experience," spoke Satoshi.

"That would be helpful. I only knew enough about pokemon to do this to myself, and even then, most of the knowledge that went into this didn't come from me. For the most part, I just provided the means," replied Seigai.

"I suppose this means we have a lot to teach you," spoke Kasumi.

Seigai spent the next couple of weeks learning the basics of pokemon battles, from type match ups to statistics to recovery items. As Seigai was open minded, he did well to take in all the information given to him. He was ready to put it to good use as soon as he could. He also ran tests on his body to make sure everything was okay. He was put at ease at the end of the two weeks to find that his body was working just as it should.

"Well, looks like I won't have to worry about anything falling off," spoke Seigai.

"Just shows how powerful this research of yours really is. To think that there is now a way to turn a human into a pokemon," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, I'm still not a complete pokemon. I'm still part human. Really, most of my insides are still human, except what I had to adjust and move out of the way for this," spoke Seigai, while pointing to his chest spike, "everything else is the same, more or less."

"You look the part, except for the hair," spoke Satoshi.

"I have to keep one defining element. Have to stand out from the crowd," replied Seigai.

"Just make sure you keep away from any trainers. They won't know the difference, thinking you are a rare off color pokemon. Most trainers jump at the chance to catch such a pokemon," explained Satoshi.

"Ah, that would pose a problem. Well, I won't be going out and about too often, anyway. Wouldn't want to risk being spotted by someone from the Union Corporation. Even if they didn't realize who I was, there's still the chance they could figure it out," spoke Seigai.

"I doubt you have too much to worry about. If I didn't know what you had gone through, I would have no idea who you are," replied Kasumi.

"True enough. Just don't want to push my luck," spoke Seigai.

"Well, now that you've had enough time to test your body and grow adjusted to it, it's time we taught you how to fight," spoke Satoshi.

"Ah, good. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up on everything easily," replied Seigai.

"Let's find a suitable place in the forest. It would be best if we didn't try to do things indoors," spoke Satoshi.

"I would rather stay inside, just in case there are Union guards out there," spoke Seigai.

"It would not end well if you were to train in here," spoke Kasumi.

"Why not?' asked Seigai.

"Inexperienced psychics have a tendency to... cause a lot of collateral damage," spoke Satoshi.

"Like?" asked Seigai.

"Oh, just a couple of blown out walls and holes I the ceiling, as well as unsettling the foundation a little bit. Nothing too major," spoke Satoshi in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh... okay, outside works," spoke Seigai.

"There is a good size clearing deep into the forest. It should make for a good training ground," spoke Kasumi.

"You guys must have seen a lot of this forest. I've never really ventured out this far," spoke Seigai.

"Right now, we are in the heart of the forest. There are a lot more pokemon here than there are on the edge of the forest, several of them are larger and much more dangerous. Even most trainers would not venture out this far. We tracked through here to get to Hayashi and Okadamashi faster," explained Satoshi.

"That's why we believe this place to be safe. Even if someone were to come out here, they would have a hard time just getting this far," spoke Kasumi.

"What about teleportation?" asked Seigai.

"You can't just teleport to a place you've never been before, it's too dangerous," spoke Satoshi.

"You could end up in a rock or cut in half by a fallen platform," replied Kasumi.

"Not to mention they are likely conducting a thorough search that would require them to comb through the entire forest. It's impossible for them to just appear here through teleportation," spoke Satoshi.

"I see. Thanks for the heads up," spoke Seigai, as the group of three made their way out of the house.

"Wait a second," spoke Seigai.

"Yes?" asked Satoshi.

"Why can't you guys teach me in the same way that I showed you what I knew of the layout of the Union building?" asked Seigai.

"That would save some time, wouldn't it? Do you know how to read our minds to find out?" asked Satoshi.

"Ah, I see the issue," spoke Seigai.

"Anyone can give information, but reading information into your own mind is a much different process," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, why can't the two of you simply teach me how to read minds, then?" asked Seigai.

"It's not that easy. You can't just train the mind and not the body," answered Kasumi.

"You must train both together in order to make the best use of what you learn. There are no shortcuts to learning how to battle. Even if I were to teach you how to use powerful techniques in that way, it would do nothing for you if you're body was not strong enough to be able to perform them," explained Satoshi.

"That makes sense, then. Guess it's time to stop wasting time with talk and get to work," spoke Seigai.

The group of three made their way through the forest. On their way, they ran into a pair of nidoking.

"Those guys look a little big," spoke Seigai.

"There are quite few nidoking and nidoqueen out here," spoke Satoshi.

"Good to know," replied Seigai.

"Hey, look! A couple of small fries!" shouted one of the nidoking.

"Ah, good. I was getting bored... wait, don't those two look familiar?" asked the second nidoking.

"What do you mean?" asked the first nidoking.

"Look at the hair on that one, and the smaller spike on the other," spoke the second nidoking.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Let's jump 'em!" shouted the first nidoking, as he charged forward. The second followed. As they grew near, the first charged directly at Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi using fury attack, while the second stood back and unleashed poison sting. Satoshi and Kasumi recognized the attacks, and had no problem getting out of the way. Seigai, who lacked battle experience, ended up getting knocked into the ground by the first nidoking while getting pinned by the second.

"Gah!" shouted Seigai, as he tried to get himself back up, only to get pinned down by the nidoking again.

"What's a matter, small fry?" asked the first nidoking, as he used a horn attack on Seigai, knocking his head into the ground.

"Take this!" shouted Satoshi, as he lifted the nidoking pinning down Seigai with psychic. Satoshi took the nidoking, and slammed him into the ground using enough force to knock him out instantly.

"Well, I tried to tell you, but no, don't listen to me," spoke the second nidoking, as he backed down, not wanting to fight in the first place. He walked over to Seigai and helped him back up.

"Uh... thanks," spoke Seigai.

"Forget it. Please forgive my friend over there; he lacks common sense," spoke the nidoking.

"Well, what did you think of you first battle, Seigai?" asked Satoshi.

"It sucked," replied Seigai, "I'm a scientist, not a fighter."

"We'll have to fix that, then," spoke Kasumi.

"You two brought someone with no combat experience out here? Well, I suppose as long as you keep an eye on him... seriously, though, you should watch yourself out here. Things can get rough quick, and most of the pokemon out here are fairly aggressive. Keep that in mind, should you desire to venture out here on your own," spoke the nidoking, as he walked over to his partner.

"Let's go," spoke the nidoking, as he grabbed his partner by the leg, and dragged him off in the direction the pair was heading before running into Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi.

"How did you guys get out of the way so fast. I know you recognize attacks from your experience, but you moved so fast, it almost like you vanished," spoke Seigai.

"It comes with practice. Train long enough, and you'll have it, too. Being quick on your feet will help you a lot with types like them. As you can probably guess, our bodies can't take a lot of physical punishment, so we have to be able to move quickly, or risk getting knocked out," explained Satoshi.

"On the other hand, we can take more from non-physical attacks; we're more adapted to defense against those types of moves," spoke Kasumi.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Seigai.

"At least we're able to fight poison types without much hassle," spoke Kasumi.

"There are bug-types out here though, so be careful. They can hit us relatively hard," spoke Satoshi.

"Oh joy..." muttered Seigai.

The group of three continued on their way to the clearing. When the arrived, they found a group of two ivysaur and a venusaur.

"Hm?" muttered the venusaur.

"Intruders!" shouted one of the ivysaur.

"Let me take 'em!" shouted the second ivysaur, as it charged forward. The other two watched. The ivysaur ran through the middle and tackled Seigai to the ground.

"Guf! Why me!" shouted Seigai.

Kasumi picked up the ivysaur with psychic, and sent it crashing into a tree at the edge of the clearing, knocking it out. This prompted the second ivysaur to charge forward. When it got close, it sent out it vines, doing a vine whip. Satoshi and Kasumi got themselves out of way, while Seigai rolled out of the way of the attack.

"I'm tired of playing it like this," spoke Seigai, as he stood back up, and managed to grab hold of one of the vines.

"Let go!" shouted the ivysaur, as it tried to lift Seigai into the air. Seigai was able to hold his ground. Seigai stared at the ivysaur intently. Before long, his eyes began to glow purple. An aura of corresponding color surrounded the ivysaur. Seigai lifted the ivysaur up, and knocked it into the ground. The ivysaur was shaken by the attack, but continued to fight, this time using razor leaf. Seigai was able to move out of the way of some of the leaves, but managed to take a hit from a couple, ending up with some small cuts on his body. Seigai's eyes lit up purple again. This time, Seigai flipped the ivysaur upside down before sending it into the ground. This time, the ivysaur was knocked out.

"How did I do that?" asked Seigai.

Satoshi and Kasumi walked over to him, seeing what he had accomplished.

"That is called confusion," spoke Satoshi.

"It's a weak psychic-type attack that can move opponents with telekinesis," explained Kasumi.

"How did I do it?" asked Seigai.

"Once we get the proper amount of experience, techniques like this become second nature to us, as natural at walking. That's how you were able to do it," replied Satoshi.

"Huh, interesting," spoke Seigai.

The group of three forgot about the venusaur, which had been charging an attack of its own. Once it started to emanate a bright light, the group of three turned their attention to it.

"What is that one doing?" asked Seigai.

"Solar beam!" shouted Satoshi.

Without warning, a beam shot out from the venusaur and into the group of three. A large explosion of dust and debris erupted from where the blast hit.

"Finally, I can finish my nap," spoke the venusaur, as its eyes began to close. They snapped back open when it felt something strange wrapping around it.

"Remind me to ask you guys how you blocked that," spoke Seigai, his eyes glowing purple, along with Satoshi and Kasumi's.

"Will do," spoke Satoshi.

The group of three psychics used their power to lift the venusaur up twenty feet in the air, before slamming it back down. The venusaur rolled over, knocked out from the attack.

"That takes care of that," spoke Satoshi.

"Unless there are more surprises hiding out in the middle of this field," spoke Seigai.

"I don't think we have anything else to worry about," spoke Satoshi.

"Most wild pokemon only seek confrontation if approached. There are very few that go out of their way to fight someone," explained Kasumi.

"That makes sense. If they all charged like that, they would be pretty easy to capture for trainers," spoke Seigai.

"Most try to hide from humans for that reason. After all, who would want to end up stuck in a stuffy little ball, typically only coming out for battle," spoke Kasumi.

"Is it that uncomfortable on the inside of a pokeball?" asked Seigai.

"Not really; it's actually relatively comfortable. It's just the idea of being confined after being free to wander as you will that upsets most pokemon, hence their desire to try and break free," spoke Satoshi.

"Makes sense," spoke Seigai.

"You'll have to be vigilant in looking out for trainers. It shouldn't be too bad out here, but in other places, where there are more trainers, you would be quite the prize," spoke Kasumi.

"Because of my hair color, right?" asked Seigai.

"Precisely. A trainer would not know what you really are, so be careful," spoke Satoshi.

"I'll just have to make sure I'm strong enough to break free, that's all," spoke Seigai.

"Not quite," spoke Satoshi.

"What do you mean?" asked Seigai.

"There is a pokeball that is able to catch any pokemon, regardless of strength," spoke Kasumi.

"There is?" asked Seigai.

"They're expensive, though. Only the most wealthy trainers can get one, but still, it's something to keep in mind," spoke Satoshi.

"Have you ever seen one before?" asked Seigai.

"I know what one looks like, but I've never seen it in person before. It has an 'M' on it, is purple and white, with two round, pink bumps. If you see one of those, run. Don't waste your time fighting, or you can consider yourself captured," spoke Satoshi.

"Scary thought..." muttered Seigai.

"Only if you don't know any better. Most wild pokemon don't know about it, and think they'll be able to break free with no effort, since trainers that use them do so right away, rather than trying to weaken their target. Knowledge is your most precious ally out here," spoke Satoshi.

"Hopefully we won't run into anyone out here," spoke Kasumi.

"True enough," replied Seigai, "So, where do we start?"

"Well, since you know confusion, that gives us something to work with. Now, let's see if we can give you something to practice with..." muttered Satoshi as his eyes began to glow blue. The ground in front of Satoshi started to crack and fracture as rocks of varying size were pulled out from under the ground. Each hit the ground with a loud crash.

"To increase your psychic power, you should try lifting as many of these at once as you can," spoke Satoshi.

"Sounds simple enough," spoke Seigai.

"Then give it a go," spoke Satoshi.

Seigai's eyes began to glow purple once again. He tried to lift all the boulders at once, but found that he couldn't even make them budge if he tried. He decided to reduce how many boulders he tried to until he could lift them. He finally got them into the air when he was down to two.

"Not bad, two isn't a bad number at all. Most are only able to do one when they start," spoke Satoshi.

"That's a step in the right direction, I suppose," spoke Seigai, as he set the boulders down.

"Now lift them again and again, like lifting weights. Keep this up until you can no longer. Kasumi and I will be further down the field. Just get our attention when you're ready," spoke Satoshi as he and Kasumi walked towards the opposite end of the field. Once they arrived, their eyes began to glow blue as they commenced a psychic duel with one another. They appeared to be trying to move one another. Seigai decided it would be best if he focused on what he was doing, and again lifted up the two boulders. He continued doing this for a couple of hours before he could no longer lift the two boulders. Seigai thought to try to continue with one, and was able to do so for another half hour before he was completely exhausted. After taking a break a for few minutes, he tried to lift two boulders again, but found it only made him feel dizzy, prompting him to stop. Upon ending his exercise, Seigai looked to where Satoshi and Kasumi were. They were in the same position as they were a few hours ago, their eyes still glowing blue. Seigai walked towards them and continued to watch with interest. He noticed that both were beginning to sweat as they continued to focus on what it was they were doing. Finally, both of them went flying back from where they were, and landed flat on their backs.

"Another stalemate..." muttered Satoshi and Kasumi in unison.

"What was that?" asked Seigai.

"We were having a psychic tug of war," answered Kasumi as she stood up.

"In order to do this, you have to be able to both keep yourself in place while at the same time trying to force your opponent back," spoke Satoshi.

"It seems simple, but it's not quite as easy as it seems," spoke Kasumi.

"It requires a lot of focus to maintain both of the forces at the same time," spoke Satoshi.

"And balance. You have to be able to balance out how much power you use to keep yourself in place and how much power you use to attack. Too much focused on keeping yourself in place, and you won't be able to move your opponent; too much focused on attacking and you'll end up being knocked away," explained Kasumi.

"It can take up to a few years to master how to conduct oneself in one of these duels, not to mention there is a set level your power must be at before you can attempt it," spoke Satoshi.

"You have to at least know psychic; confusion is much to weak to be able to be used in one of these duels. When you're further along, we'll teach you how to conduct yourself in one," spoke Kasumi.

"Sounds like something to look forward to. Anyway, I finished lifting the boulders. I end up getting dizzy if I try to continue," spoke Seigai.

"This happens if you attempt to use an ability you no longer how the power for. There are limits to everything; even the strongest pokemon can only use their abilities so many times in sequence without rest. The exercise I gave you is as much as endurance test as it is a test of strength," spoke Satoshi.

"So what comes next?" asked Seigai.

"Meditation. It helps one to learn how to focus the mind," spoke Kasumi.

"It also helps us to develop our ability to see into the future. This is something that all gardevoir are capable of doing," spoke Satoshi.

"The technique future sight makes use of this to prepare future attacks that work around defensive measures and natural immunities," spoke Kasumi, "even though it's a psychic type attack, it can hit a dark-type."

"That does sound rather useful. It would be nice to be able to do something to those umbreon Shin used," spoke Seigai.

"There are other ways, too. We're not restricted to using only psychic-type moves," spoke Satoshi.

"So we can use any attack?" asked Seigai.

"Something like that," spoke Kasumi.

"All pokemon are able to use all techniques. However, each pokemon has a affinity for certain types of techniques, and there are still some restrictions," spoke Satoshi.

"Such as?" asked Seigai.

"I can use the technique hydro pump. However, I need an external source of water in order to do so, since I do not have the ability to produce my own supply of water. The same applies to fire-type techniques," explained Satoshi.

"Makes sense," replied Seigai.

"There is one pokemon that is free of any restrictions. All we know about it is that it's a psychic type pokemon and that it is highly rare," spoke Kasumi.

"We've always found it interesting that this pokemon is a psychic-type," spoke Satoshi.

"I've heard of it before. It's called a mew. Teruko and Masayoshi were talking about it before, saying how convenient it would be to use its tissue samples as opposed to using those of a ditto," spoke Seigai.

"Do you know anything else about it?" asked Kasumi.

"It supposedly resembles a cat in someway. They didn't have a picture to show me," spoke Seigai.

"Interesting. Well, perhaps we'll find one someday," spoke Satoshi.

"It would be hard to do that," spoke Seigai.

"Why is that?" asked Satoshi.

"It is almost always transformed out in nature, in order to hide itself properly. I suppose they do it knowing they are always being hunted by trainers. There could be one out here right now and we wouldn't realize it until it transformed into its original form," explained Seigai.

"That does explain part of why we've never seen one in all of our travels," spoke Kasumi.

"Takeshi did say he always wanted one. I wonder if he'll succeed in finding it?" asked Satoshi.

"Only time will tell," replied Kasumi.

"So, we were talking about meditating before?" asked Seigai.

"Oh, yes, we got distracted. Meditation is a good tool for focusing the mind and learning how to control your ability to see the future. To meditate, all you really need to do is find a relaxing position and focus on something, then do nothing but focus on that thing. I found it best to clear my mind and listen to the sound of nature, shutting out all but the external world. Forests like these are perfect for this. They're so lively and full of wonderful sounds," spoke Kasumi.

"Wouldn't this leave us vulnerable to trainers?" asked Seigai.

"Not at all. If a trainer were to approach, I would sense it right away, and respond accordingly," spoke Kasumi.

"After you've learned to take in all of nature, you'll be able to feel out everything. It's a natural ability for us, so it won't take you long to master it," spoke Satoshi.

"There is another type of meditation for you to try, but let's start with this for now. This one is much safer, and doesn't require much focus. The other type of mediation we use is solely for working on our ability to read the future, and is the opposite of this type of mediation, and would leave us vulnerable to being captured by trainers," explained Kasumi.

"Fair enough," spoke Seigai.

"Now, find a relaxing position, and empty your mind of unnecessary thought. Just listen to the song of the forest, and let everything else disappear," spoke Kasumi, as she sat herself down and closed her eyes. Satoshi did the same, followed by Seigai. Seigai found it hard at first to focus himself. He would keep drifting off into random thoughts. Things such as how hard he would push himself, what would happen if Shin found him, and how his children were doing kept running through his head. After about an hour, he finally was able to tone out all his inner thoughts and got absorbed by the sound of the forest. I made him feel even more relaxed. He could hear the sound of the trees as their leaves danced in the breeze. He could feel the wind blowing around him. He could hear the sounds of several birds and insects. He could even hear the footsteps of the pokemon walking near the field. The group of three continued meditating until sunset. If felt like they were resting, and Seigai found it to be rather peaceful. Satoshi and Kasumi could have kept going on into the night, but opted not to after feeling out how far the sun had set.

"Seigai, I think it's time we get going," spoke Kasumi.

"Huh? Oh... wow, it's quite late already, isn't it?" asked Seigai.

"You could not tell?" asked Satoshi.

"I could tell it was getting close to night. I could feel the sun as it crept further and further down the horizon," spoke Seigai, "Do you think I could try the boulder exercise one more time?"

"We can if you wish. We'll continue our training here while you do so," spoke Satoshi.

"Alright, let's see how long I last this time," spoke Seigai, as he made his way to back to the boulders. He watched as this time the two of them pulled up a pair of boulders of roughly the same size. The two focused and tore the boulders apart with their psychic abilities. They then began throwing the small rocks at each other, while dodging those thrown at them. Seigai watched for a few minutes before trying to lift the boulders once again. Seigai tried to lift three the boulders, but found he couldn't and continued with lifting two. After working on lifting the boulders for an hour and a half, Seigai found he was tired again. As hungry as he was, he was ready to go home and have something to eat. It was already dark out. The field was barely lit by the stars of the night sky. Satoshi and Kasumi were still dodging the rocks they were throwing at each other. Seigai thought there might be a trick to the way gardevoir eyes work, thinking they had a way of seeing at night. Seigai tried to focus, but found he was unable to see anything. Seigai walked over to the dueling couple. They stopped once Seigai drew near.

"Finished with lifting the boulders?" asked Satoshi.

"I am. How are you guys able to do that?" asked Seigai.

"Do what?" asked Kasumi.

"Throw those rocks at each other at night and still be able to dodge them, even though it's so dark out here," spoke Seigai.

"We aren't trying to see them with our eyes," spoke Kasumi.

"Such an act would be pointless. This is why we have done well to learn how to see with our psychic abilities," spoke Satoshi.

"We will teach you how to do this when you are ready. The training we were doing just now required even more focus than a psychic duel when done at night like this," spoke Kasumi.

"It would be nice to go home and get something to eat. Shall we?" asked Satoshi.

"We shall," replied Kasumi.

"Are we going to walk back?" asked Seigai.

"No, that would be a bad idea. It would be best if we were to teleport back. There are many strong pokemon out in the forest at night. After training all day, it would be a bad idea to try and take them on," replied Satoshi.

"Hold onto us," spoke Kasumi.

Seigai nodded as he held the hands of Satoshi and Kasumi. After a few moments, he felt the familiar sensation of being pulled and stretched. Within a second, they were in the middle of the living room of their house. Seigai thought to try to put his abilities to the test, and tried to flip a light switch. He ended up breaking the switch through using too much power at once.

"This is one of the many reasons why we practice outdoors," spoke Satoshi, as he used his abilities to turn on the rest of the lights in the living areas.

"Learning power is one thing, learning control is another. You'll need to learn that, too," spoke Kasumi.

"For now, though, we'll continue to focus on increasing your power. Just try to resist the temptation to use your abilities for your daily activities for now," spoke Satoshi.

"No problem; the last thing I want to do is end up breaking everything in the house," replied Seigai.

Kasumi prepared the group a pleasant meal of pan-fried chicken and rice with some tomato sauce. During the meal, Seigai asked about the defensive technique Satoshi and Kasumi had used before.

"Oh, that's right, we were going to tell you what that was, weren't we?" asked Satoshi.

"Must have been something else to have blocked the solar beam from that venusaur," spoke Seigai.

"It's called light screen. It's a barrier of light used to defend against non-physical attacks," explained Kasumi.

"We don't naturally learn it, but since it's a psychic-type move, it doesn't take too much effort to learn. We can teach it to you once you're further along with your training," spoke Satoshi.

"Works for me," replied Seigai, "what kind of training will we be doing tomorrow?"

"The same for the time being. We'll worry about engaging in duels and fighting wild pokemon after you've gained a little more strength," replied Satoshi.

"After all, we wouldn't want a repeat of today," spoke Kasumi.

"Ah, true enough. That nikoking was packing a punch," spoke Seigai.

The next few weeks continued with Seigai continuing with the rock lifting. He had finally learned how to use psychic, and started doing the rock lifting with it. His power continued to increase, much to his delight. He was finally able to deal with some of the wild pokemon that occupied the section of the forest they were in. He was also practicing using teleport, attempting to increase the accuracy of where he appeared.

"You're getting better with teleport," spoke Satoshi.

"You didn't end up in the middle of one of our duels," spoke Kasumi.

"Don't remind me. I thought I was dead after that rock hit me on the head," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, come now, it wasn't that bad. We weren't hurling them fast enough to kill someone, just enough to let you know you'd been hit," spoke Kasumi.

"Just as long as it doesn't happen again," spoke Seigai, "now let's see what happens this time."

Seigai closed his eyes and focused on his destination. He brought forth the familiar aura, followed by the sensation of being pulled. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of the living room of his house.

"Perfect this time!" shouted Seigai, as he closed his eyes again, this time focusing on the exact point he left from. After using teleport again, he found himself a couple of inches away from where he was standing before.

"Not bad, I think I just about have this down," spoke Seigai.

"Good, good. Now it's time for another test of your skills," spoke Satoshi.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Seigai.

"A psychic duel with me," replied Satoshi.

"Are you sure I can do that? I'm all for it, I just don't want to get annihilated," spoke Seigai.

"Relax, I won't go at it with all my power. That wouldn't be too productive. I'll use enough power to counter yours. This is more about control than anything else. You can't beat me at your current level; instead, you should focus on balancing the force you are using to keep yourself in place with the force you are using to push me away," explained Satoshi.

"Ah, that makes sense," spoke Seigai.

"All you have to do is manipulate these forces with psychic. That's all there is to it," spoke Satoshi.

"Alright, I'm ready," spoke Seigai.

"Very well. Stand back a little. Kasumi will stay by you, just in case, so don't worry about getting knocked away," spoke Satoshi.

Seigai nodded and took a few steps back. He was now roughly twenty feet away from Satoshi.

"Ready?" asked Satoshi, as his eyes began to glow blue.

"Ready!" shouted Seigai, as his eyes also began to glow blue.

Without another word, the two began their duel. Seigai was quickly knocked back, causing Kasumi to use psychic to keep Seigai from being knocked away too far. Kasumi ended up knocking Seigai onto the ground.

"What happened?" asked Seigai.

"You didn't use enough of your power to keep yourself in place," spoke Satoshi, "Care to try again?"

"Yeah," spoke Seigai.

Once again the eyes of the two began to glow blue. This time, Seigai remained firmly in place.

"You're using too much to keep yourself in place this time, Seigai," spoke Satoshi, "I can barely feel anything coming from you."

"Alright," spoke Seigai, as he increased the around of his power he was aiming at Satoshi. He continued to increase it as slow as he could, waiting until it felt like it was straining him to keep himself in place. Once he approached that point, he continued to maintain the level of power he was outputting.

"Very good, Seigai. Seems you've found the balance point, now let's see just how long you can last," spoke Satoshi.

They continued their duel for a half hour, before a large explosion caused Seigai to lose his focus and end up being knocked back again.

"Ow... what was that?" asked Seigai.

"A distraction," spoke Kasumi.

"Eh?" asked Seigai.

"Given the nature of what it is you want to do, it'll likely be a rare occurrence for you to end up in one on one fights; while you're engaging one opponent, you must be wary of any other opponents that may attempt to strike at you while your attention appears to be focused elsewhere. You'll have to make a decision regarding how you handle the new opponents, as well as dealing with your current opponent," spoke Satoshi.

"I see," replied Seigai.

"Try to maintain your focus. I won't tell you want kinds of distractions will be thrust upon you, but keep in mind there will be something there to keep you on your toes," spoke Satoshi, "now, ready?"

"I'm ready," spoke Seigai.

The two resumed their duel. Kasumi set off all manner of explosions roaring through the sky. She continued this for an hour before charging after Seigai. Taking an actual hit from a weak confusion attack disrupted him enough to lose his focus again, resulting in his being knocked down on his rear.

"You attacked me!" shouted Seigai.

"Was I not supposed to?" asked Kasumi.

"No... you just caught me off guard," spoke Seigai.

"That just means you need to learn how to better focus when dealing with multiple opponents," spoke Kasumi.

"So, Seigai, are you starting to get an idea of what you need to do?" asked Satoshi.

"I have a few things in mind. I'd like to try them out," spoke Seigai.

"Good, let's see what you have in mind," spoke Satoshi.

The pair resumed their duel. Kasumi waited for twenty minutes this time before engaging in any distractions. After setting off several explosions around Seigai, she charged again. This time, Seigai attempted to knock Kasumi back; however, since he used part of the power he was using against Satoshi, he was sent flying back again.

"Ow... okay, so that one didn't work," spoke Seigai.

"Shall we try again?" asked Satoshi.

"Let's continue," spoke Seigai.

The pair continued to duel for a few hours, with Seigai doing well up until Kasumi was attack him. He would end up getting knocked back when he focused too much in dealing with Kasumi, allowing Satsohi to knock him back each time. By mid afternoon, Seigai had finally run out of the strength needed to continue dueling with Satoshi.

"Not bad, Seigai, not bad. You're starting to learn. You picked up on the control rather quickly, it's just a matter of figuring out how to deal with multiple opponents at the same time," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. It's probably something simple, I'm sure. It always is. Even when I was working on my research, I would always find that it was something simple that would mess me up. It never fails to amaze me just how much trouble one small error can make," spoke Seigai.

"The more you practice, the more you'll learn. Now then, now would be a good time for us to meditate. After that, you can work on rock lifting while Kasumi and I hold duels amongst ourselves. That should take care of the rest of the day," spoke Satoshi.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Hopefully taking this time to focus on nature will help me perfect my use of teleport, and get to the proper location a little more consistently," spoke Seigai.

The group of three sat in a circle, and closed their eyes, allowing their thoughts to become one with nature. After a few weeks of doing this training, Seigai had finally learned how to meditate properly. He could feel all of the elements of nature around him clearly now, from the breeze blowing through the blades of grass to the caterpie walking up a nearby tree. After a few hours of mediation, the group continued with their strength training before returning to their home for dinner.

The next day, Seigai was by himself. Satoshi and Kasumi had gone to see the children. Seigai had wrote them a small message for Satoshi and Kasumi to deliver before they went on their way. Kasumi made sure to keep Satoshi's right side out of view, hiding the one feature that allowed him to stand out. Seigai decided to use the day to do inner meditation, as he would often do when Kasumi and Satoshi were out. Inner meditation was different from the meditation they did while out in the field. For this type of meditation, gardevoir would focus on thoughts of the future, in order to hone their ability to see into the future. Seigai was attempting to do this as well. He would get a jumble of random images, but never anything clear and meaningful. He was told it would take a few years of training in order for him to be able to see anything worthwhile. Nonetheless, Seigai made sure to work on this training. It also helped him in being able to read into the minds of others to work on this training. As Seigai engaged in this training, he had finally settled on one image in his mind, the image of a gardevoir. He could have sworn it was his wife, Akane, but upon studying the image in his mind further, he concluded it was a different gardevoir, although the gardevoir looked very similar to his wife. He concluded it may have been a vision of the future of one of his children. He noted this gardevoir was a little shorter than the average gardevoir, its hair was a little longer. He could finally see that this gardevoir was a girl. From her appearance, he was able to conclude this was likely Ryoku. Once he realized this, he continued to focus on the image, hoping to learn something of what was taking place within it. Before he could figure out anything else, he was startled by the return of Satoshi and Kasumi. Seigai jumped with surprise when he was snapped out of his meditation.

"Oh, sorry there, Seigai. Didn't mean to startle you like that," spoke Kasumi.

"See anything interesting?" asked Satoshi.

"I think so. I saw a vision of Ryoku. At least, I think it was Ryoku. It was her as a gardevoir," spoke Seigai.

"Did you learn anything else?" asked Kasumi.

"No, I didn't. The image was relatively blurry. It was really hard to get anything out of it other than her," replied Seigai.

"Well, at least you have an image to hold onto. Perhaps with more training, you'll be able to see more of the image," replied Satoshi.

"It would be nice. I'm sure being able to see the future will be a helpful ability," spoke Seigai.

"That it will, that it will," spoke Satoshi.

The group of three continued their training for another few months. Seigai continued to be knocked away in his duels with Satoshi. He was continuing to get stronger, but he was still at a loss for properly dealing with multiple opponents while he was focusing on having a psychic duel.

"Gah!" shouted Seigai, as he was knocked back once again.

"Perhaps we should move on to today's meditation?" asked Satoshi.

"Not yet, I think I can go for one more round," spoke Seigai.

"Are you sure? There's no need to overexert yourself," spoke Kasumi.

"I can handle it," replied Seigai.

"Very well, get ready... begin!" shouted Satoshi.

Satoshi and Seigai's eyes glowed with the familiar blue of a gardevoir using psychic and their duel commenced. This time, Kasumi started her distracting explosions right away. She knew they wouldn't work though; they hadn't worked since the first day they started this training. Kasumi waited for the right moment to charge. When she saw that Seigai was starting to shift slightly, she charged after him. This time, however, Seigai closed his eyes for second. He pulsed with a bright aura before knocking back both Kasumi and Satoshi.

"Guf... what in the world..." muttered Satoshi.

"Kasumi! Satoshi! Are you okay!" shouted Seigai.

"I'm alright, just a little surprised," spoke Kasumi.

"This isn't the first time I've had the wind knocked out of me; I'm okay," spoke Satoshi, "what I want to know is what that was."

"I'm... not sure. I just felt this quick burst of power and used it. I didn't expect something like this to happen," spoke Seigai.

"Quick burst of power..." muttered Satoshi.

"It's likely what we experience when we find an opponents weak point and score a critical hit," spoke Kasumi.

"I don't think so, dear. This was something different," replied Satoshi.

"Different?" asked Kasumi.

"I don't know why... just... it felt... different. That's the only word I have for it," spoke Satoshi, "Didn't you feel it?"

"It did feel strange, but I just dismissed it. If you felt it too, then... yes, different would be the right way to put it," spoke Kasumi.

"What do you guys mean about this being different?" asked Seigai.

"It's much to difficult to convey through words," spoke Satoshi, as he conveyed what he felt to Seigai via telepathy. Seigai shook at the strange sensation.

"That's what you felt when I felt that power?" asked Seigai.

"Correct. Rather intimidating, isn't it?' asked Satoshi.

"And that was coming from me... you don't suppose it's a side effect, do you?" asked Seigai.

"It's possible. You are unique; there is no one else like you. Perhaps there's some kind of test you can do?"

"I'll have to take a blood sample to use in analyzing my DNA. Perhaps there is something that went wrong when the program was adjusting the ditto tissue samples," spoke Seigai, as he teleported himself to his lab. Satoshi and Kasumi were quick to follow.

"Ah, I was hoping you two would follow me. It's a lot easier if someone takes the blood sample for me; it's a bit impractical to take one out of myself," spoke Seigai.

"I'll take it for you," replied Kasumi, as she took out one of the sample needles. Seigai held out his arm, and awaited the familiar pain. Once Kasumi took the sample, she placed it inside one of the machines. After a couple of hours, the computer had finished its analysis.

"Okay, that should do it, now to compare this to what it should be... huh?" spoke Seigai, as the computer showed the results of the comparison.

"What's wrong?" asked Satoshi.

"This can't be right..." muttered Seigai, as he continued to look over the results.

"What is it?" asked Kasumi.

"This... this is correct, there are no alterations. There aren't even any signs of errors," spoke Seigai.

"What does this mean?" asked Satoshi.

"I'm... not sure. I'll have to do a more detailed analysis, seeing what genes may be responsible. It'll take a couple of days to run a test like that," spoke Seigai.

"Do you think we should stop your training?" asked Kasumi.

"No, we should continue until there is good reason for us not to. It seems that I'm fine... well, better than fine. If this really is some power unique to me, it would be best if I could find a way to control it; it might come in handy in the future," spoke Seigai.

"Alright then. We still have enough time to do our meditation," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, since we're here, I'll work on enhancing my mental abilities. I can almost read minds effectively. Just a little longer, and I'm sure I'll have that figured out," spoke Seigai.

"Just remember to be careful with it," spoke Satoshi.

"I won't violate anyone's mind. Really, I want to learn how to form mind blocks. Might be helpful in hiding my presence. I'm sure the Union Corporation would try to use psychics to try and find me if they had the chance; with my new appearance, it would be the only way they would have for finding me out," spoke Seigai.

"This much is true, but mind blocks are only as strong as the pokemon using them. They aren't infallible; a pokemon with stronger psychic abilities would be able to break through them. Having a mind block broken often has a damaging effect on the victim, depending on what method was used to break it," spoke Satoshi.

"What kind of effect?" asked Seigai.

"Depends on how sharply the block was broken. The effect can range from mild disorientation and the inability to use your psychic abilities for a time to being knocked out instantly. In the worst cases, the mind could be completely broken. Though rare, it is possible you could die, though, it would take a lot to do that. The mind has a lot of protection in place to prevent something like that from happening, but still, it is possible," spoke Satoshi.

"Has it ever happened to either of you?" asked Seigai.

"Several times," spoke Satoshi.

"Our previous trainer would do it to us purposely whenever we fell short of his expectations. He told us it was his way of 'toughening' us up, but..." replied Kasumi.

"Justice caught up to him. That's all that matters now," spoke Satoshi.

"I see... well, shall we get started?" asked Seigai.

The group of three entered into their meditative positions, and began to close themselves off to the outside world, reflecting on the visions that appeared from their subconscious. Over the next two weeks, the group of three continued their training pattern. The strange power that Seigai had failed to manifest itself again. Seigai continued to be unable to defeat both Kasumi and Satoshi in a psychic duel, though he was beginning to hold a little longer through Kasumi's attacks. When they noticed the tests that Seigai was running were finally complete, they went to take a look at the results.

"So, this should tell us where this ability of yours originates, right?" asked Satoshi.

"It might, it might not. Looks like everything matches up to what it should be, which is remarkable. I suppose it's because the process of converting my body was done so slowly. What took a couple of weeks would likely have only taken a couple of days at most on the machines Kenji had. Let's see if it was able to find anything else of use," spoke Seigai.

"If I may ask, where did you get the gardevoir DNA you used?" asked Kasumi.

"From Akane. We used it to restore her arm before. She's the only gardevoir we've encountered out here. Your species isn't really native to this region. At least I don't think it is," spoke Seigai.

"It isn't," replied Satoshi.

"That's what I thought," spoke Seigai, as he continued to look through the results of test.

"Well, let's see, hasn't told me too much I don't already know. I know where my hair came from... let's see..." muttered Seigai.

"If you don't mind my asking, Seigai, does this mean you are biologically our son?" asked Kasumi.

"Hm? Oh, no. I didn't use her actual unique genes, just the pattern that makes her a gardevoir. I used that with my own DNA. My genes were adjusted to be expressed through a gardevoir pattern. In other words, me as a gardevoir. I'm no more your son than any other gardevoir would be," explained Seigai.

"I see," replied Kasumi.

"Now, let's see... hmm... this can't be right..." muttered Seigai.

"Find something interesting?" asked Satoshi.

"I did. I think I found the gene showing where this odd power of mine comes from, but... this can't be right," spoke Seigai.

"What do you mean?" asked Satoshi.

"It originated from me," answered Seigai.

"How is that possible?" asked Satoshi.

"I... don't know... wait... I see. It makes sense now," spoke Seigai.

"What does?" asked Kasumi.

"It's this one gene. In a human, as I was, it's nothing more than a little quirk. However, when in a gardevoir body, or presumably any other pokemon, it becomes this power," spoke Seigai.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Satoshi.

"That's what this is telling me. Let's see if there is anything else in here... hmm... no, nothing else I didn't already know. Amazing... I guess this means that wasn't just a fluke, either, huh? Well, now that I know it exists, it's just a matter of figuring out how to put it to use," spoke Seigai.

"I wish I could say I knew how, but I haven't a clue on this one," spoke Satoshi.

"Neither do I; we've never encountered something like this before," replied Kasumi.

"I didn't think you would. All we know for sure is that it only appears when I'm in a pinch. That's what we know for sure... perhaps we should look at that specific duel, maybe try to reenact it somehow," spoke Seigai.

"That would be difficult. If it is as you say, then it would be near impossible to replicate that duel perfectly," replied Satoshi.

"In what sense?" asked Seigai.

"Your state of mind also comes into play in deciding if you are in a 'pinch,'" spoke Satoshi.

"You would know we were trying to duplicate that duel; that's what your goal would be. You wouldn't feel what you might normally in such a situation," spoke Kasumi.

"You're right, of course. Hmm... maybe I should reflect on what exactly I felt at that point in time, and try to duplicate that somehow," spoke Seigai.

"You should be able to do that while meditating," spoke Satoshi.

"I was about to say that," spoke Seigai.

"It would be the opposite of what we normally do, though. We seek out impressions from the future. What you need to do is pull out the past. Not just a memory, but the past itself," spoke Satoshi.

"That's possible?" asked Seigai.

"It is. It would take some training to do that effectively, but it can be done. We learned to do this some time ago," spoke Satoshi.

"Then I could just read your minds to figure out how to do it for myself, right?" asked Seigai.

"It's not that easy. We can tell you how _we _do it. It's different for each gardevoir. It might be hindering to you if we were to tell you how we do it," spoke Satoshi.

"Just like how you told me about how I can't just read your minds to learn how to see the future, right?" asked Seigai.

"Correct. You could use it to try to learn other techniques, but realistically, it's better if you learn through the process of figuring it out, rather than having someone simply tell you," spoke Satoshi.

"It's similar to how a pokemon that was trained in battle is superior to a pokemon who has its strength boosted artificially at the same level," spoke Kasumi.

"Well, I guess I'll just make it a part of my meditation training from now on," spoke Seigai.

"That's the best way to go about it," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, it's still early on in the day, we can have a round or two of one of our duels. Maybe today that power will show up again, letting me learn something from it," spoke Seigai.

The group of three headed to their field and began their training, stopping for meditation at the end of the day. They continued this ritual for the next few months. Seigai's power failed to manifest itself again. Seigai continued his meditation, to see if he could recreate the duel in his mind, while at the same time bettering his ability to read into the future. He continued to see clearer images, though he had yet to fully duplicate the moment in question.

Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi finished their breakfast for the day and returned to the training field. Before they could get there, a group of three nidoking crossed their path.

"I don't suppose we've seen either of these three before?" asked Seigai.

"Can't say that I recognize either of them," replied Satoshi.

"Ho ho, so there are those who would dare to step into our territory," spoke one of the nidoking.

"You're territory?" asked Seigai.

"That's right, our territory," spoke another nidoking.

"We claimed this for ourselves a few days ago; we've fought off everyone who tried to challenge our claim," spoke the third nidoking.

"We're not here to challenge anyone's claims. We're just passing through on our way to a clearing up ahead. We don't have any interest in your territory," spoke Kasumi.

"Heard that one before. I'm done talking, let's go!" shouted the leader of the three nidoking, as he charged towards Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi.

"They always have to go and learn the hard way," spoke Satoshi, as his eyes began to glow blue.

"Some never learn," spoke Kasumi, as her eyes also began to glow blue.

"Oh well, life wouldn't be as interesting if it weren't for the ignorant," spoke Seigai, his eyes glowing blue as well.

Before the nidoking could get close enough to strike, each of the three were lifted into the air.

"Hey! Put is down!" shouted the lead nidoking.

"So they want down?" asked Seigai, "Well, should we?"

"I suppose would could oblige them," spoke Satoshi.

"Hey! What are you three thinking!" shouted one of the nidoking.

"If you want on the ground, you should have just asked," spoke Kasumi.

At that point, all three nidoking were sent up higher into the air, before being slammed into the ground head first. After the dust and debris that was kicked up settles, there were three pairs of feet kicking in the air. The top half of the bodies of the nidoking were stuck into the ground.

"Do you think we should pull them out?" asked Satoshi.

"They did want to look after their territory. Now, they've become one with the land. Must have been what they wanted all this time," replied Seigai.

"Oh, you two," spoke Kasumi.

"We're just kidding," spoke Seigai, as he eyes glowed purple. Satoshi and Kasumi followed suit, using the weaker confusion to pull them out of the ground.

"So, still want to fight?" asked Satoshi.

"Um... uh... passing through, right? Go right on ahead," spoke the lead nidoking.

"Thank you," replied Satoshi.

The group of three continued on their way to their training field.

"It's been a while since the last time we ran into a nidoking," spoke Seigai.

"It has. You did a lot better this time than you did that first time," spoke Satoshi.

"I remember. I got my rear handed to me the first time we ran into nidoking. That was a rather uncomfortable lesson. I'm glad we can fight on the same level now," spoke Seigai.

"Well, we'll just see about that," spoke Satoshi.

"Now that we know you can handle nidoking better, let's see if you can handle us a little better," spoke Kasumi.

"Hopefully I'll be able to do a little better than I did yesterday, if nothing else," replied Seigai, as he stood at ready, his eyes glowing blue. Satoshi smiled and did the same before the pair began. At this point, Satoshi was no longer holding back on how much of his power he used. Kasumi started her array of distractions, waiting for the right time to strike at Seigai. When Seigai appeared to flinch at a particularly close blast, Kasumi charged forward. Seigai noted this, and quickly thought of a different approach to the problem. Something finally dawned on him as he split his psychic attack into to separate, but balanced parts, using one on Satoshi while using the other on Kasumi. As Kasumi was not using her psychic abilities to maintain a hold, she was knocked back. Seigai re-combined the two parts of his attack, focusing on Satoshi again, but keeping an eye open for any counterattacks from Kasumi. At that point, Satoshi lowered the power he was using, prompting Seigai to do the same before the pair were back to normal. At that point, Satoshi began to clap his hands together. Kasumi did the same after picking herself back up.

"Congratulations, Seigai. You finally figured out how to split your attack into balanced parts. You've finally learned to properly control your psychic abilities!" shouted Satoshi.

"Well, it took long enough," spoke Seigai.

"Don't go saying that; it normally takes years for a gardevoir to reach this level. Even with focused training like this, it would take about six months on average, and you have it at just three and a half months," spoke Kasumi.

"I do have more motivation. I have a family to protect and a weapon to stop. I'm sure I still have a long way to go," replied Seigai.

"Well, there is one more step," spoke Satoshi.

"What would that be?" asked Seigai.

"It's better we show you," replied Satoshi, as he and Kasumi stepped back some distance from Seigai. The eyes of each went to blue, followed by a mild tremor from the ground. Several boulders appeared before being ripped apart into small pieces. The pair began sending the smaller rocks at each other while dodging what was thrown at them. Seigai watched in with interest as the pair continued this duel for a few minutes before stopping, resulting in the rocks falling to the ground.

"So that's the last step to learning to control my abilities?" asked Seigai.

"Correct. If you can do this, then I would be able to say you had mastered control of your psychic abilities. This training is very similar to the training you just did in that it's about balancing your power. What you learned there was to split your strike into different parts, as opposed to simply rotating the axis of a single strike. The difference here is how many times you are splitting your strike. Instead of splitting it into two balanced parts, you'll constantly be splitting it into multiple parts. Some of the parts will be used for dodging and deflecting, while other parts will be used for attack," explained Satoshi.

"Sounds simple enough, though, I'm pretty sure this will take a little longer to figure out," replied Seigai.

"It's not as difficult as it seems. We'll be helping you, of course. It would be highly irresponsible of us to just start throwing rocks at you. If one of those were to hit you, it would cause serious injury. Not enough to kill you, mind you, but you would be out of it for a little while. Kasumi will be sending the rocks at you while I use my powers to place a barrier around you, this way, you will not have to worry about the consequences of not dodging," spoke Satoshi.

"Hmm... I'm not sure you should do that," spoke Seigai.

"Are you insane?" asked Satoshi.

"It's not that. It's that if I know about this barrier protecting me, my power may not resurface," replied Seigai.

"I see. Well, as important as it is for us to find a way to draw that power of yours out, it could be dangerous for us id you were to use it in this kind of duel," spoke Satoshi.

"I'd rather not have any rocks going through my body," spoke Kasumi, with a grin matching her sarcastic tone of voice.

"You have a point there," replied Seigai.

"I'll have a barrier around Kasumi, as well, so don't worry about it if that power does indeed manifest itself. Even with that power, my barrier should at least be strong enough to prevent any serious injury being inflicted upon us," explained Satoshi.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Seigai.

"I have a high level of control over my psychic powers. We'll be fine," replied Satoshi.

"Alright then, so where do we start?" asked Seigai.

"First you learn to dodge. Don't even think of trying to attack yet," spoke Satoshi.

"Okay, that should make it a little easier," replied Seigai.

"Alright then, get yourself ready," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm set," replied Seigai.

"Let's see what you got," spoke Seigai.

Kasumi and Seigai's eyes took their familiar blue glow. Several of the rocks near Kasumi began to glow blue before being thrown at Seigai. Seigai attempted to deflect and dodge the rocks, but only succeed in avoiding a handful of them completely. Several more made glancing blows off of the barrier around Seigai, while more than half struck Seigai directly.

"Don't try to move out of the way. At these speeds, that's nothing more than a pointless gesture. This isn't dodge ball, use your psychic powers," spoke Satoshi.

Seigai nodded as Kasumi resumed throwing rocks in Seigai's direction. Seigai was able to dodge a few more this time, but was still taking several hits.

"How do you guys do this? And while attacking each other at the same time?" asked Seigai.

"Years of practice," spoke Satoshi.

"Fair enough," replied Seigai.

"It's possible if you keep at it. Don't get discouraged; you've already made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. You'll get it, as long as you don't give up," replied Satoshi.

"I know it's possible, just have to keep trying," spoke Seigai.

Kasumi continued with the rock throwing. Seigai was improving a little throughout the day, but was hardly at the level required to start attacking back. By this point, both Kasumi and Seigai were fatigued from use of their psychic powers. Satoshi was worn down a little, though his barriers hardly required the same amount of focus as throwing and dodging rocks. The group of three proceeded with their meditation training before leaving the field for the day.

After having dinner that night, Seigai reflected quietly in his room, pondering something to himself.

"I wonder... even if it's just for a second..." muttered Seigai, before he disappeared.

In Muzo and Mizuho's house, Seigai's children were having a conversation about their day.

"He's happy the rest of the time!" shouted Ryoku.

"It would be nice if he could learn to talk with us. Since he can't, it's kind of boring to just sit around and play with him all day," spoke Sakashi.

"He doesn't have to talk, just have fun. He knows how to do that!" shouted Ryoku.

"Now look who's yelling at who," spoke Hatsumi, as she started to chuckle. The group of three didn't notice Seigai just appeared outside of their window. Seigai smiled as he looked upon his children. He wanted to get a little closer to them, but didn't want to risk being seen. He knew it could cause problems for them if they were able to recognize him, unknowingly blowing his cover. Seigai was about to laugh when he saw his three children stop what they were doing. They looked surprised at something before turning towards Seigai. In response, Seigai quickly teleported himself away, using a trick he learned from Satoshi to mask the signature flash the technique usually made. The children thought they were seeing things and continued on conversing amongst one another.

In Seigai's room, Seigai reappeared with a small smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see they are doing well. I'll have to stop by and see them every now and then. Even if I can only watch them briefly, it's much better than not being able to see them at all," spoke Seigai to himself. He let out a yawn before stretching out on his bed. He took off his clothes before drifting off into sleep.

The next day, Seigai prepared to resume his training with Satoshi and Kasumi. He was determined to learn how to split his attacks and effectively dodge the rocks.

"Ready for another round?" asked Satoshi.

"That I am, that I am," replied Seigai.

"Well then, let's get started," spoke Satoshi, as he looked towards Kasumi. She got herself into position.

"I'm ready," spoke Kasumi.

"I'm ready anytime," spoke Seigai.

"Alright, then let's begin," spoke Satoshi.

Kasumi pulled up a group of the rocks that had been left behind from the previous day and began sending them at Seigai. Once again, Seigai did his best to try and avoid taking a hit. He was hoping that working on full nights rest would help him to be a little better at this exercise. He was able to avoid a few more than he was the previous day, but he still took a lot of hits from the small projectiles. They continued this for as long as their psychic powers would allow them. Seigai tired out after a couple of hours of training.

"Okay, I'm done," spoke Seigai, as he tried to knock away one last rock, only to take a hit to his side. The barrier around him glowed a dull gray at the point of impact.

"Not bad, Seigai, you did well today. You managed to dodge a few more today, but you still have a while to go yet," spoke Satoshi.

"I might actually have to try tomorrow," spoke Kasumi.

"Huh?" asked Seigai.

"I have to hold back a little. You would be overwhelmed if I went full force in the first round," replied Kasumi.

Seigai reflected on the matches she and Satoshi would have. They would be dealing with a lot more rocks than what Kasumi was throwing at him. Seigai assumed it merely appeared that way, since he wasn't attacking Kasumi back. Upon further reflection, he realized Kasumi really was going easy on him.

"So, meditation now?" asked Seigai.

"Ah, yes. Then another round after. There's still more than enough time left in the day," spoke Satoshi.

"You're quite the harsh teacher," replied Seigai.

"We did have a rough trainer to start. All things considered, I could be a lot rougher," spoke Satoshi.

"I was just kidding," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, right. Well, I wasn't," replied Satoshi, as he took his meditative stance.

"My my, you can be quite the mean one when you want to," spoke Kasumi, as she took a stance right next to Satoshi. Satoshi let out a small grunt in response.

"You two really are an old married couple," spoke Seigai, smiling as he took his stance. He frowned for a moment, reflecting on the fact he would never have the chance to have that with Akane, but let it go for the time being in order to properly focus his mind.

This training ritual continued for six months. The group would head out to the clearing, then Seigai would attempt to doge all the rocks he could while Kasumi was throwing them and Satoshi was protecting them with one of his barriers. After the first couple of months, Seigai was finally able to learn how to dodge effectively. Now, he could effectively duel with Kasumi without taking a single hit.

"Alright, Seigai, this is the final test. This time, we're doing it without the barriers," spoke Satoshi.

"Wait a minute, are you sure?" asked Seigai.

"Relax, I can start them at will should it become an issue. You need this in order to fully master your abilities. You need to be forced to work under pressure. This time, if you mess up, you will be hit. Keep that in mind," spoke Satoshi.

"Alright," replied Seigai.

"Are you ready?" asked Kasumi.

"As ready as I'm going to be," spoke Seigai, as his eyes began to glow blue. Kasumi's did the same, and within moments, rocks were flying at high speeds back and forth between the two. Satoshi watched on carefully, ready to use a barrier should it appear that Seigai is about to use his power. This didn't happen though, as the duel continued on. The power had yet to manifest itself again since that day. Seigai continued to try to re-enact it in his mind, but had yet to replay the molment in his mind properly.

After a couple of hours, the pair of Seigai and Kasumi finally ran out of power and had to take a rest.

"Well, that does it. You've now passed the final level of your psychic dueling training. You've mastered control over your powers," spoke Satoshi, as he put his hand on Seigai's shoulder. Seigai nodded in thanks.

"I'd like to take a break over the next couple of days," spoke Seigai.

"What for?" asked Satoshi.

"I believe it's time we saw what our friends at the Union Corporation are up to, maybe set them back again," spoke Seigai.

"You think we should?" asked Satoshi.

'It would be a wise idea. I don't want to leave them unchecked. They've likely bettered their security this time, and likely have more than a couple of backups. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to at least get an idea of where they are at," spoke Seigai.

"Hmm... agreed. It would be wise to take a break in our training, then. We would want to be at full strength before heading there," replied Satoshi.

"May I come with you this time?" asked Kasumi.

"It would be best if you didn't. They know about Satoshi. I have to do this. I don't want them to find out about you. It would make things difficult. For example, you wouldn't be able to go out shopping or see the children without having to worry about being seen by those working for the Union Corporation," replied Seigai.

"Of course, I understand," spoke Kasumi.

"Don't worry, one of these days, you'll get your chance to join in, just not now," spoke Seigai.

"I would rather you stay here and be safe," spoke Satoshi.

"You say that every time before we go to battle," replied Kasumi.

"Of course. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, my love," spoke Satoshi.

"And I don't want anything to happen to you, dear," replied Kasumi.

The three spent the next few days solely with meditation training. They also worked on a plan of attack for when they would strike this time. They hoped to get as much information as they could before destroying everything in the lab again.

In the middle of the night on the third day, the pair of Seigai and Satoshi were ready.

"What time shall we strike this time?" asked Satoshi.

"Just before three this time. Best we not strike at the same time as before. The might think to have a higher guard presence at that particular point in time," spoke Seigai.

Satoshi gave a nod at the group of three waited for the appropriate time. At ten of three, Satsohi and Seigai readied themselves.

"Be careful, you two," spoke Kasumi.

"Don't worry, we'll be back before you miss us," spoke Seigai.

"I'll be back; I can't stand the idea of leaving you alone," spoke Satoshi.

With a flash, the two were gone, leaving Kasumi to look at the clock and hope for the safety of her mate and son in law.

In the basement lab of the Union Corporation building, Seigai and Satoshi appeared. They took a look around at their surroundings.

"Well, they weren't smart enough to move this place elsewhere," spoke Seigai.

"They did put this place back together, though. Looks exactly the same as it was when I arrived here before," spoke Satoshi.

"Well, might as well start with the computers," spoke Seigai, as he pulled out a disk that held another computer virus within. Seigai made his way over to one of the terminals.

"Hmm... password encryption, huh..." muttered Seigai. Satoshi walked over to another terminal only to see another screen with a password prompt.

"Looks like all the computers here are locked," spoke Satoshi.

"I guess he isn't as arrogant about his security systems this time. I can crack it, but it'll take a moment. Just keep an eye open for anyone coming in here," spoke Seigai.

"I can do that, but how did you plan on accomplishing your task?" asked Satoshi.

"I made a little bug that can break passwords... hopefully it isn't something too long," spoke Seigai.

"And you didn't consider looking into working with computers?" asked Satoshi.

"It wasn't really my thing. Way too much math and what not. Even this is something I found by chance one day while I was on the Internet. It's made to find passwords that are lost, but it can be used for this, too," replied Seigai, as he got the program to start working. After about a half hour, Seigai was in, and started looking around.

"Well, he's made some progress, but not too much. Looks like most of this pertains to the theories of how to merge pokemon and human DNA. Let's see what else we can find... huh, just as I thought. He has his information backed up elsewhere on several private servers spread out across the globe. Guess he isn't taking any chances this time. Might as well put this virus on here," spoke Seigai.

"You think it'll wipe out everything this time?" asked Satoshi.

"Maybe, maybe not. This one is on a time delay. Hopefully he'll have spread it on his own," spoke Seigai.

"Why don't we spread it?" asked Satoshi.

"Can't; the servers are all password encrypted... appears each of them have different passwords. He was quite serious about making sure no one wiped out all of his information again. Just have to hope his virus scanner doesn't find this before it can do it's thing," spoke Seigai, as he made several copies and placed them in computers throughout the lab's computer network.

"Okay, that takes care of that," spoke Seigai.

"Now what?" asked Satoshi.

"We smash this place. Getting new computers and equipment will hurt them a little," replied Seigai.

At that moment, the door to the lab opened, a guard entering to check up on the lab.

"Huh? Gardevoir? Gardevoir!" shouted the guard, as he reached for his pokeballs.

"Houndoom! Umbreon! Take out these two!" shouted the guard.

The two pokemon appeared quickly, preparing to attack. The houndoom prepared a flamethrower, while the umbreon readied a dark pulse.

"Dodge!" shouted Satoshi, as the pair got out of the way of the flamethrower. There was no hiding from the dark pulse as it struck them both. The pair were slightly disoriented, but not knocked out.

"At least these aren't as strong as Shin's," spoke Satoshi.

"I think it's our turn," spoke Seigai.

"No, don't bother. Psychic attacks won't do a thing to them. They can resist all psychic moves. I know a trick or two, though," spoke Satoshi, as he charged a thunderbolt.

"Take care of the equipment, I'll take care of this," spoke Satoshi.

"Right," replied Seigai, as he started to use his psychic to tear apart the computer terminals on the side of the room they were in.

"Stop the one with the black hair!" shouted the guard. The umbreon and houndoom turned their attention to Seigai.

"Take this!" shouted Satoshi, as he unleashed his thunderbolt upon the umbreon. The umbreon was slow to get back up, but continued on towards Seigai. The houndoom attempted to hit Seigai, but Seigai was able to get out of the way of it, and get hit by the umbreon's faint attack. Seigai was knocked into a computer console, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks.

Satoshi hit the umbreon with another thunderbolt, taking it out, then turned his attention to the houndoom. It was still focused on Seigai, who was struggling to get back up. The houndoom prepared to use fire spin.

"Try this," spoke Satoshi, as he stuck his arms out in front of him. He placed his hands together and fired a hyper beam at the houndoom. The beam blew out a couple more computer consoles before sending the houndoom flying into one of the cameras, smashing it. The houndoom was immediately knocked out.

"Alright, then, mightyena, finish them off!" shouted the guard.

A mightyena emerged from the last pokeball on the guard's belt. It charged at Satoshi with a faint attack. Satoshi couldn't move, having to recover from using hyper beam. Satoshi was knocked back harshly into the wall. He slow to get back up, but attempted to ready a thunderbolt. Before either could make another move, a machine with a large capsule on top filled with smaller machines fell on top of the mightyena, knocking it out.

"Use what you have around you, right?" asked Seigai, as he looked at the guard, who quickly tried to summon the other guards on a nearby com-panel. Satoshi fried the panel with the thunderbolt he intended for the mightyena.

"Nice try," spoke Satoshi.

"Get away from me!" shouted the frightened guard. He didn't even think to grab his pokemon before running for the door. Seigai held him in place with psychic.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Seigai.

"It doesn't matter what you do here! Dr. Den knew this would happen again. Your attacking this place again is meaningless," shouted the guard.

"We'll see about that," spoke Seigai, before slamming the guard into the door, knocking him out.

"Let's finish this and leave before another one shows up," spoke Seigai, as he started to tear into the remaining computer consoles.

"No problem," spoke Satoshi, as he let out a thunderbolt on the remaining machines. Sparks and smoke filled the room from damaged computer equipment.

"Geez, you would think the noise would have grabbed someone's attention," spoke Seigai.

"Do you really want to have to deal with another guard?" asked Satoshi.

As he said that, another guard entered the room.

"What the devil... hey! You!" shouted the man, as he reached for his pokeballs.

"Time to go!" shouted Seigai.

"One more for the road!" shouted Satoshi, as he unleashed a thunderbolt upon the ceiling, smashing all of the cameras. Satoshi and Seigai disappeared in flash before they could see what pokemon the guard had thrown.

The guard started swearing violently in front of his two tyranitar, leaving the two pokemon confused. After he was finished, he pulled the two back and sent out a blastoise, having it put out the fires sweeping through the room, due to the fire suppression system being damaged by Satoshi's last thunderbolt.

"This isn't good. Dr. Den will be furious," spoke the guard, as he looked around the room. He noted the other guard and his pokemon were lying unconscious.

"Better contact the commander..." muttered the guard, before kicking the other guard awake.

"What happened?" asked the first guard.

"You messed up!" shouted the second guard.

Shin arrived in the room, having been alerted by the disruption in the power to the room. He took note of the carnage, then saw the two guards bickering.

"Much too loud..." muttered Shin, while pinching the bridge of his nose. He sent out a scizor while the guards continued to argue.

"Silence them," spoke Shin. The scizor responded by decapitating the two guards with fury cutter. Their bodies fell to the ground, while spilling out copious amounts of blood. Their bloodied heads rolled on the ground with stunned expressions.

"Much better. Failure will no longer be tolerated... hmm..." muttered Shin.

A loud screech could be heard as Shin's scizor used iron head to smash through the shell of the one guard's blastoise, which had attempted to attack Shin in revenge.

"Ah, that's what I wanted to hear," spoke Shin, as he noticed the blastoise coughing up blood. It fell off of the scizor, hitting the ground dead. The scizor turned to face Shin, with blood dripping down its head. Shin observed the other pokemon lying around the room.

"I wonder..." spoke Shin, as he pulled out three max revives, using them on each of the pokemon. They rose with a stir, before looking around in confusion. Upon seeing Shin, they backed away with fear.

"My my, there's no need for that," spoke Shin, "I'm not going to hurt you."

The umbreon, houndoom, and mightyena calmed down at hearing this.

"Oh, no, you mistake my intentions. I said _I_ won't hurt you; he will. Make it as violent and loud as possible, but be quick about it. Give them just enough to scream," spoke Shin.

The houndoom, knowing it had a better chance at fighting the pokemon attempted to use a fire spin. The scizor cut it's head off just as it was about to attack, resulting in its body incinerating itself. The umbreon and mightyena ran for the door, trying to get out of the room.

"Smart, but pointless," spoke Shin as the scizor brutally smashed both pokemon into the door. Both screamed out loud before being crushed against the door. The two pokemon left streaks of blood from where their bones had ripped through their bodies.

"As I said, failure will not be tolerated; no exceptions," spoke Shin, as he recalled his scizor. Shin took note of the two pokeballs holding the tyranitar the one guard held.

"Hmm... well, they didn't participate. I suppose I can let them live for now. Maybe I can make some use of them..." muttered Shin, as he took the two pokeballs off of the guard.

Shin left the room. He headed for his office on the top floor, and summoned a crew to clean up the trashed lab. He went to the lobby to greet Kenji upon his arrival.

As Kenji arrived in the building, he took note of Shin waiting for him.

"Unusual to see you here waiting for me. What happened?" asked Kenji.

"Two gardevoir destroyed the lab this morning. We were able to identify the one from the footage recovered as the one guarding Seigai. The other is unknown, though it did have black hair, a rare trait for a gardevoir.

"A gardevoir with black hair, eh? Did they damage anything else?" asked Kenji.

"No, though they were working on a computer before destroying everything. I took the liberty of running a system wide virus scan. There was nothing found," replied Shin.

"I see. Well, the equipment can be replaced. The data has been backed up. Given the success of our other investments, this is hardly anything to worry about. Continue to make sure the guards use dark-types. They're the best counter," spoke Kenji.

"As you wish," replied Shin.

"One more thing; what of the guards watching the room? Did they engage the gardevoir?" asked Kenji.

"They and their pokemon have been disposed of," replied Shin.

"Is that so? What a shame. Adjust the guard schedules, then. Make sure there is someone there twenty-four-seven," spoke Kenji, as he walked to the elevator.

"Sir, if I may ask. Why do you not move the lab?" asked Shin.

"Why? Quite simple. If I move it and make it inaccessible, those gardevoir might give up and not return. Then I would have to track them down. If they come to us, we can kill them that much easier," replied Kenji.

"I see. Very well, then," spoke Shin.

"Anything else?" asked Kenji.

"That is all," replied Shin, as he made his way to one of the other elevators.

Kenji would unknowingly distribute the virus program Seigai made, and end up wiping out his data once the virus became active three weeks from the time of the attack. While he was remarkably angry, he merely took out his frustrations on the software engineer who made his virus protection program, having the man befall an "accident," compliments of Shin.

After Satoshi and Seigai had left the lab, they reappeared in their house. Kasumi was quick to greet the pair in an embrace.

"Thank goodness!" shouted Kasumi.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," spoke Seigai.

"I had to make sure we came back," spoke Satoshi.

Kasumi let the pair go before noting their injuries.

"What happened?" asked Kasumi.

"There was a guard with some dark-types. They gave us a run for out money, but we were able to take care of them," replied Seigai, "Remind me to ask you to teach me how to do that electric technique you were using, and that other one... the one where you shot that beam out of your hands."

"Thunderbolt and hyper beam; I'll teach them to you soon enough. I think it would be more fitting to teach you have to make barriers and light screens," replied Satoshi.

"Ah, thanks. Now then, remind me, what are the vulnerabilities of dark types?" asked Seigai.

"Fighting and bug type moves," replied Kasumi.

"Fighting and bug type... well, I don't suppose either of you two know moves of those types?" asked Seigai.

"We know of some, but we can't use them," replied Satoshi.

"These bodies aren't well adapted to using either... but... maybe..." muttered Seigai.

"What are you planning?" asked Satoshi.

"You did say that it's possible for any pokemon to use any technique, right?" asked Seigai.

"Within certain bounds, but yes. Why?" asked Satoshi.

"Well, bug is out, but fighting... what kinds of moves are fighting moves?" asked Seigai.

"Those based in martial arts, such as karate chop and low kick. Slaps and tackles are normal type moves," explained Kasumi.

"Hmm... I have an idea," spoke Seigai.

"What would that be?" asked Satoshi.

"To make a room for a training gym," spoke Seigai.

"We have the field in the forest," spoke Satoshi.

"I know, but this will be for weight lifting and other physical workouts," replied Seigai.

"What would you need to do that for?" asked Satoshi.

"To see if I could build the muscles of this body. Can you two do that?" asked Seigai.

"Hmm..." muttered Satoshi.

"I don't think it's impossible," replied Kasumi.

"I want to try this and see where it goes. As it is, we're not quite too well adapted for fighting type moves, but that can always be fixed with enough training, right?" asked Seigai.

"It will be difficult. Fighting is more or less the opposite of our natural type. While there are fusions of fighting and psychic types, such as gallade, our alternate evolution, it would be difficult for us to train our bodies like that," answered Satoshi.

"Well, you don't know until you try. I think it's worth a shot. Besides, I'm still part human, so I might be able to do a few things you guys can't," replied Seigai.

"Alright then, we'll give this a try," spoke Kasumi.

"It would make for something new; I'm in," spoke Satoshi.

"Alright. We'll alternate strength training with psychic training, every other day. That's reasonable, right?" asked Seigai.

"It sounds reasonable. We should take the day off to get some rest. We'll start working on this gym of yours tomorrow, and start using it for training once we have everything we need," replied Satoshi.

"Okay. I have an idea of what we need. Up for a little sports equipment shopping, Kasumi?" asked Seigai.

"Sounds like fun, but you won't be able to join me without being seen," replied Kasumi.

"Actually, I found a way around that," spoke Seigai, as he went into his room. Within a few minutes, he emerged, wearing a long sleeved outfit with long pants, along with sunglasses and a head wrap to obscure all the features that identified him as a gardevoir.

"Getting the padding right for hiding the spike was a pain. It looks a tad exaggerated, but it works. I have makeup for my skin, but that's all that's missing. I have one for you, too, Satoshi. We can walk out in public like this, right?" asked Seigai.

"It works," spoke Kasumi, "though it is different." Kasumi pondered in her mind how her mate would look in the outfit, bringing a smile to her face.

"Why do I not like that look?" asked Satoshi.

"That's the look of a devious woman; never a good sight for a man," spoke Seigai.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not thinking of anything too embarrassing," replied Kasumi as she let out a small chuckle.

"I'm not wearing that," spoke Satoshi.

"It's not that bad... well, it is a little warm," replied Seigai.

"I prefer to be comfortable; I'll pass," spoke Satoshi.

"Very well," spoke Seigai.

Kasumi appeared to be a little disappointed, but neither Satoshi or Seigai wanted to ask why.

Kasumi and Seigai spent the next couple of weeks gathering up all the supplies they would need in order to build their own home gym. Seigai was hopeful this would condition their bodies to be able to properly execute fighting type attacks. They worked in physical training with psychic training, making it their new routine for the time being. Seigai decided it would be best if they were to hold off on attacking the Union Corporation for the time being, until they were able to complete their strength training.

Physical training was a new experience for all of them. They each maintained their health through varying forms of exercise in the past, but never gave much thought to conducting actual strength training. They had basic workout equipment; some benches, dumbbells, and barbells, along with some punching bags and floor mats. They made a new extension to their house, the size of about half the house, for their home gym. As they were out in the forest, they had more than enough space to do this with. They were even able to recruit some nidoking and nidoqueen, in exchange for food and temporary shelter. It took several months before they started to see some results. Though their bodies were still fairly small they were able to bulk up somewhat. Seigai had hoped he would show more development, since he was a hybrid, though he did not.

Another five years had come and gone. Seigai and Satoshi would conduct their terrorist runs on the Union corporation every now and again. They concluded that constantly destroying the lab equipment only increased the chances of their being caught, and kept to data sabotage, trying to create strong computer viruses to wipe out all of their information. Their successes and failures were balanced. Sometimes they would force them to start over again, other times they would be able to find their viruses before they could destroy any data. Sometimes they would catch a virus after it had wiped out some of the information. They kept their time at the Union building short, not wanting to end up in another fight with the guards. If they came in when there was a guard on duty, they would quickly incapacitate the guard and leave. If the guard had the time to send out pokemon, they would quickly depart, knowing their security was only improving. Over time, Seigai had taken note they were still advancing in their plans, with their strikes only hindering their progress.

"Uh, that was tiring..." muttered Seigai, as he sat himself down on the couch in the living area. The group of three had completed their physical training for the day. Seigai, Satoshi and Kasumi hadn't changed too much. The only difference was a slight build in their arms and legs, showing how their muscles were developing. Their limbs were still more slender than the average human's, though.

"Indeed. As you humans say, though, no pain, no gain," spoke Satoshi.

"Still, though. Even after doing this for this long, it's still so tiring..." muttered Kasumi.

"At least it's working. Remember last week when I almost sent the punching bag flying out the window!" shouted Seigai.

"We remember. I remember Kasumi running out of the way of it when it was tumbling in her direction," replied Satoshi.

"As fun as it was to see it slam into the wall, I didn't like the idea of the thing hitting me," replied Kasumi.

"True, true, and then there was the pain of finding a stronger chain, but still, it was kind of funny. Not quite as funny as the time you burst open that sand one, though," spoke Seigai, while looking at Satoshi.

"I didn't think it would break so easily, really," replied Satoshi.

"The best part of that was when Satoshi ended up falling down, and having the sand fall on him," spoke Kasumi.

"That was the best part. And then dragging him out of it. Looked like he had just taken a trip to the beach!" shouted Seigai.

"I thought I would be cleaning sand out of his hair for the next year! He was such a mess after that," spoke Kasumi, while laughing along with Seigai.

"Oh, shut it," spoke Satoshi, "It wasn't that funny."

"Sure it was!" shouted Kasumi, as she rubbed up on her husband a little in an attempt to get him to laugh a little. A small smile formed on Satoshi's face, though it was somewhat short lived.

"I didn't realize just how late it was getting," spoke Seigai.

"Hard to believe it's almost ten. I didn't think we would end up training for that long," spoke Satoshi.

"It happens when we get "in the zone," spoke Seigai.

"We would still be going if I didn't catch a glance at the clock," spoke Kasumi.

"True enough," replied Seigai, as he stood up.

"Going somewhere?" asked Kasumi.

"Just going out for a bit, to try and relax a little. We did plan another raid two days from now. It'll help to ease the stress. I figured you two wouldn't mind having a little time alone to relieve your own stress," spoke Seigai.

"Alright, just don't be out for too long," spoke Satoshi.

"And don't go out too far. You know how territorial those noctowl get," replied Kasumi.

"Geez, I'm not a kid," replied Seigai, as he made his way out the door. As soon as he was outside, he teleported himself to somewhere.

"So, think he's about to visit the kids again?" asked Satoshi.

"Probably. I want them to catch him this time. I know he's worried about the Union Corporation finding out about who he is, but he should really try to be a bigger part of their lives," spoke Kasumi.

"I agree, though, in the end, it's his own choice. I don't want to pressure him one way or the other. After what happened to Akane, I sure he doesn't want to drag anyone else he cares about into this situation," replied Satoshi.

"I know, but still... it must be so hard on him," spoke Kasumi.

As Satoshi and Kasumi figured, Seigai was watching his children again. He was able to control his teleportation to the point where he could appear precisely where he wanted to. He was now observing them from just outside their window. He watched as his children fell asleep and decided to sit with them in their room for a little while. He was careful to mask his presence and teleported himself into their room. He stayed close to their closet, just wanting to watch them sleep for a few minutes before making his way back. As he walked a little closer to their beds, he felt something latch onto his leg. He did his best not to shout out before teleporting back outside again.

"Ha! Got you!" shouted Sakashi. The boy kirlia ran out of his bed to look at what his trap had caught, only to find there was nothing there.

"Huh? But I felt it! And the trap snapped!" shouted Sakashi.

Seigai listened to his children outside of their room. He noticed the grabber claw they had used had bitten into his leg, resulting in it bleeding a little.

"Huh, so it was a trap, huh? Guess that was a little too close. Perhaps I should be a little more careful the next time I come to visit. They're getting better every day. Before long, they might actually catch me, and then I would have some serious explaining to do," spoke Seigai to himself as he teleported himself back to his home. When he arrived, he had noticed Satoshi and Kasumi had already went into their bedroom for the night.

"Well, I don't feel like sleeping just yet. Let's see what's on the TV at this time of night..." muttered Seigai. He fell asleep to the random television shows he was watching that night.

The next day passed without incident and Seigai and Satoshi prepared themselves for their next mission. They had chosen to strike after one this morning, hoping to catch the middle of the guard rotation.

"Hopefully this one will do something," spoke Seigai.

"The last few didn't seem to do much of anything. They're starting to get better with figuring out how our programs work," replied Satoshi.

"Guess I should have taken computer programming a little more seriously," spoke Seigai.

"Just do what you can over there, don't get caught," spoke Kasumi.

"We won't. We've done well for this long," replied Seigai.

"We'll be back before you miss us," spoke Satoshi, as he and Seigai disappeared.

"They won't be happy until they really do end up giving me reason to worry," spoke Kasumi.

Seigai and Satoshi appeared in the middle of the lab once again. They were fortunate enough to avoid catching a guard and started hacking their way into the computer.

"Even their encryption protection is starting to get better," muttered Seigai, as he tried his best to get into the computer.

"I'm in over here," spoke Satoshi.

"How did you manage that?" asked Seigai.

"Dumb luck, I suppose," spoke Satoshi as he suddenly paused. He saw something on his screen that made him pale.

"What is it?" asked Seigai.

"This... this isn't good," spoke Satoshi.

"Have they completed the weapon?" asked Seigai, starting to sound nervous at the idea.

"No, it's not that. It's this," spoke Satoshi, as he allowed Seigai to see what he had on his screen. It was the blueprints for some kind of device. Seigai read the description before turning pale himself.

"A device that can prevent pokemon and devices from teleporting in or out of a place. That could cause us problems," spoke Seigai.

"It would make it impossible for us to continue our attacks," spoke Satoshi.

"I don't like the idea of being able to get into a place only to find we couldn't get back out again," replied Seigai.

"I didn't even think about that. This could be used to make a rather nasty trap for us," spoke Satoshi.

"At this point, I doubt they would do something as 'kind' as simply imprisoning us. Is there anything on when they'll have these devices completed?" asked Seigai.

"Nothing clear. Seems the project is in it's beginning phases," replied Satoshi.

"Then it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to wipe out the data pertaining to it, as well. We can't give them the chance to make these," spoke Seigai.

"Do you need to adjust that virus?" asked Satoshi.

"I do, but it's not something I can't do quickly. I can do it after we upload it," replied Seigai, as he placed his disk into the computer. Before he could do anything else, a prompt came up for unlocking the drive for use. It wasn't the first time the pair had run into this kind of problem while trying to conduct one of their attacks. The increase in security pertained to the computer systems as well.

"Want to work another miracle?" asked Seigai.

"Let's try to get this going as soon as possible," spoke Satoshi.

The pair needed another few minutes to access to the drive and adjust the virus program. While Seigai was working on the virus program, Satoshi looked at the plans for the teleportation inhibiting devices.

"Interesting design idea. They have an organic core," spoke Satoshi.

"An organic core?" asked Seigai.

"Yeah. Looks like they must have been finding some other applications for your research. These things have samples of dark-type pokemon at their core. Makes sense, seeing as teleportation techniques are psychic based. Dark-type has the defensive capabilities to neutralize psychic-type abilities," explained Satoshi.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Is there anything else you can learn about those devices?" asked Seigai, as he was completing his virus program.

"There's not too much else I can learn from this, other than they're range doesn't appear to be all that great. Looks like they can only cover a room or two, depending on the size and configuration of the space the device is intended to guard," replied Satoshi.

"That doesn't seem too practical. That would mean they would need these devices in mass quantity in order for them to be of any use. Otherwise, all we would need to do is leave. There are no security blocks keeping us from leaving this room. We would probably be safe at the intersection of the corridors leading to the elevator, reactor, and here," explained Seigai.

"Unless they plant devices at that point. Hopefully they won't," spoke Satoshi.

"Even if they did, we could just find them and destroy them. I somewhat doubt this would be difficult, since they apparently would need to be located in the room they are guarding," spoke Seigai, as he completed his program.

"Then again, if this works, it won't be an issue one way or the other," spoke Seigai, as he set his program to run.

"Set?" asked Satoshi.

"Set, let's get out of here," spoke Seigai, as he and Satoshi left.

A few minutes after the pair left, a guard entered the lab behind them. It was Shin.

"Oh, another one of these, eh?" asked Shin, as he looked over the computer screen.

"Such a nuisance," spoke Shin, as he entered in a few commands on the computer. He frowned as he had to try a few more before a look of relief when across his face.

"My my, that one took quite a few tries to get rid of," spoke Shin, as he had a look at what the pair were looking into.

"I see they found these. What a shame. It would have been more fun if we could have used one to trap them first. Doesn't matter. There was no way they were going to avoid learning about these before their implementation. As Kenji said, they'll keep coming here in order to bring an end to his efforts, and that's when we'll get them. It's only a matter of time before we start to get the aid of the military. Once we have their resources at our disposal, we'll be unstoppable," spoke Shin, as he left the room. Within a few minutes of his leaving, Seigai's program continued where it left off. Seigai had made this one so that it could "play dead" should someone try to stop it, in the hopes they would buy it and leave, thinking they had taken care of the problem. The virus continued its destructive run through the labs computers, taking out everything, including the plans for the teleport inhibitors.

Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi continued to work on their training between their attempted raids. They were keeping a continued eye on the development of the teleport inhibitors, knowing they would be in trouble once they have been completed. The only good news in regards to the devices were their limited range. No effort was put into expanding their range, much to Seigai and Satoshi's relief.

Another five years had passed by. Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi had only continued to improve in their strength. Seigai continued his "visits" with his children, though he opted to keep them brief, not wanting to reveal himself to his children before the time was right. Even with their continued training, Seigai had yet to manifest his enhanced power. He was continuing to train to bring it out in the middle of his gym. He had himself deep in thought, putting together the events of the duel from over ten years ago.

In his mind, Seigai watched as Satoshi kept trying to knock him away while Kasumi ran at him. As real as his depiction was, it would always fall short. It was more like watching a video rather than actually being there, but Seigai persevered. When his attempt failed again, he attempted to reconstruct it once more.

"_What am I missing?"_ thought Seigai, as he continued to reconstruct the moment over and over again. Suddenly, his years of frustration caused him to lose control of his thoughts. He saw scenes of multiple duels, playing through his mind rapidly, over and over again. They scenes played out in his mind at random, as though his mind was trying to latch onto one specific moment. The rapid scenes finally stopped flashing through his mind, and froze on one moment. The one moment Seigai had done his best to repress from his memories. It was the moment when Akane had died before Seigai. Seigai could feel his crippled body unable to move, barely clinging to consciousness. As Seigai saw this scene play out once again, he heard one thing that was different. It was a laugh. It was faint at first, but it continued to grow louder as he saw the scene unfold. The laugh had a cold, twisted nature, hardly the type of laugh shared amongst friends. As the laugh became clearer, Seigai could recognize it. It was the laugh of Shin. The laughing became overwhelming right at the point where Seigai had blacked out. At that point, the scene before him changed. The scene was unfamiliar to him, something that was not of his memory. He saw fires breaking out all around him. These fires appeared to incinerating something. As the scene came into focus, he could see a house burning. It was the house of Muzo and Mizuho. He saw Shin amongst the flames, laughing as the fires burned brighter. He could hear the screams of everyone inside ringing out, only to be supplanted by more of Shin's laughter. Shin soon emerged from the flames. He turned to face Seigai, pointed, and started to laugh louder and louder, until Seigai though his ear would burst.

"_That's enough..." _though Seigai, as he saw the scene unfold.

"_That's enough... that's enough... that's enough, that's enough," _thought Seigai, before looking up and shouting, "That's enough!"

Seigai suddenly unleashed a wave of psychic energy, knocking away Shin into the flames. The blast had enough intensity to blow away the flames along with Shin, causing both to disappear in a manner that made it seem as though the flames were taking Shin with them.

After this scene cleared, Seigai passed out. Black was all that greeted him before he could hear the sound of more voices. They voices also started out faint. Seigai was worried it was Shin coming back until they were loud enough for him to sense the emotions within the voices. They were the voices of those who appeared to be concerned over something. The voices continued to get louder until Seigai could finally make out what they were saying.

"Seigai..." came the first voice.

"Are you okay? Answer me..." came the second voice.

"_Satoshi? Kasumi?"_ thought Seigai, before regaining consciousness.

Seigai was on the floor, shaking. He felt cold, he could sense the sweat covering his body. His heart was still racing, though it was starting to get under control. Upon waking, Seigai was hit with a feeling of harsh dizziness and disorientation. He felt as though he could drift back into his sleep at any moment, but he was able to pull himself together and put together the scene that was before him. Seigai tried to speak, but garbled words were all he could manage. Satoshi and Kasumi picked up Seigai, and tried to sit him up against a nearby wall. It took a few minutes before Seigai finally stopped shaking.

"Seigai? What happened?" asked Kasumi.

"I... I'm not sure," replied Seigai, still shaking off his feelings of disorientation.

"You were doing your meditation, then you suddenly fell to the floor. You've been out for the past few hours, sweating and shaking. We were about to risk taking you to the hospital after trying everything we could think of on you," explained Satoshi.

"Sorry about that... but... I did it," spoke Seigai.

"Did it? Did what?" asked Satoshi.

"I learned to control my power," replied Seigai, as he tried to stand up. It was a little shaky, forcing Kasumi to try and support him.

Seigai finally gained his sense of direction and made his way outside, prompting Satoshi and Kasumi to follow him.

"Seigai?" asked Kasumi.

"What are you doing?" asked Satoshi.

"Just watch," replied Seigai, as he closed his eyes.

Seigai focused for a moment. His eyes went from glowing the regular blue of a psychic attack to a bright white. At that point, a large wave of psychic energy was released from Seigai. It was focused enough to spread out only in front of him. If it had gone behind him, it would have taken down his house as easily as it took down the trees before him, resulting in several loud crashes. After completing the technique, Seigai fell to the ground again.

"Seigai!" shouted Kasumi, as she went to assist him with Satoshi close behind.

"Seems that takes a lot out of me. That one I did the first time was nothing compared to this," spoke Seigai, as he fought off another wave of disorientation.

"How did you do it?" asked Satoshi.

"It's my emotions. They are the key. It's the feeling of pure desperation, of being backed up against a wall. That feeling of their being no way out other than death. That's the trigger," explained Seigai.

"How were you able to produce those feelings?" asked Satoshi.

"That's what I'm unsure of. As I was doing my normal meditation, something snapped. I was hit with several memories all at once before seeing this nightmare," explained Seigai. Seigai went into detail on the content of his vision, and the feelings it had struck into him, allowing him to finally awaken his power once again.

"So that was the secret," spoke Satoshi.

"It would seem so," replied Seigai.

"Amazing that this is something only you can do," spoke Satoshi.

"Maybe. There is a chance the children are able to do this," spoke Seigai.

"We've been keeping an eye on them over the years. Even when they've been backed against the wall, they've yet to show this kind of power," spoke Satoshi.

"I doubt they would keep quiet about it if they were to experience it," spoke Kasumi, knowing how much they enjoyed bragging about their progress.

"I suppose so. I can't try and force them into a situation that would bring it out... we'll just have to keep an eye on them and hope for the best. If they are able to use this, I would have to train them right away. It would help them to be able to protect themselves," explained Seigai.

"And it would help put us a little at ease, I suppose. We can only continue to watch," spoke Satoshi.

"True enough," spoke Seigai, as he tried to get himself up again. He was finally able to rise to his feet again.

"Seems this power of yours comes at a price," spoke Satoshi.

"A little. I think I need to better control it to not use it all at once. If I were to do this in a battle, I would be in trouble of my opponent were not defeated, or if another opponent appeared. Hopefully there will never be a situation where I'll have to use it in full like that," explained Seigai.

"I think you should rest for a day or two," spoke Kasumi, as she went to help Seigai on his way back in the house.

"I think you're right," replied Seigai, as he was escorted in the house and to his bedroom.

Seigai decided to spend most of his psychic training time learning how to properly control his power in a manner that wouldn't completely exhaust him after it's use. Seigai named it the psyblast technique, referring to it's destructive nature and abruptness. Satoshi and Kasumi attempted to see if it was possible for them to use the technique, and were successful to some degree, though their version wasn't nearly as powerful as the version Seigai employed. When Satoshi and Kasumi used it, their eyes didn't glow white, and it didn't have the same destructive result, similar to how the curse technique works differently for ghosts, psyblast worked differently for those who had the proper gene.

Satoshi and Seigai continued to monitor the development of the teleport inhibitors, knowing full well they could be completed at any time. Their raids were becoming less and less effective, with the continued advances in security at the Union Corporation. While the guard presence never changed, the computer systems continued to get better at repelling their virus programs to the point where it was a fluke when one of them actually worked properly. Seigai knew this was going to happen through his visions, knowing that in the end, their efforts would only stall the Union Corporation as opposed to stopping them.

It has now been sixteen years since Seigai had left his children with Muzo and Mizuho. Seigai heard Aomine had become and trainer and Ryoku was going to be his first pokemon. While Seigai was at first outraged at the idea, and readied himself to beat Aomine within an inch of his life, Satoshi and Kasumi calmed him down by explaining that Aomine never intended to place Ryoku inside a pokeball. Seigai was still upset at the idea, and decided he would observe the pair to see what Aomine would do.

Seigai also continued to plan out his raids with Satoshi and Kasumi.

"What's the plan this time?" asked Satoshi.

"Same as always, punch in the virus and get out of there before the guards show up," replied Seigai.

"Anything special about this one?" asked Satoshi.

"Just another sleeper virus that can play dead and clone itself when attacked. Nothing too new and exciting," replied Seigai.

"Hopefully this one will work. I don't like the amount of progress they've been making this month," spoke Satoshi.

"Agreed," replied Seigai.

It was now a little after midnight. The pair were ready to leave once again.

"Be careful, you two," spoke Kasumi.

"We always are," replied Satoshi, as he and Seigai disappeared.

Seigai and Satoshi arrived in the lab once again.

"Eh?" muttered Seigai, as he noticed something odd about the computer terminal he appeared in front of.

"What's wrong?" asked Satoshi.

"The locks are already off on this computer," replied Seigai.

"That's unusual. You think they forgot?" asked Satoshi.

"In sixteen years they never once forgot to lock their computers. I find it hard to believe they would slip up now," answered Seigai.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," replied Satoshi, as he took a look at the screen in front of him. This computer was also unlocked.

"This one is unlocked, too," spoke Satoshi. The pair took a brief walk around the room and found that all of the computers were unlocked, even the computers controlling the machines in the lab.

"This is bizarre. It should only be like this if someone is working in here, and yet there's no sign of anyone," spoke Seigai.

"I don't like this. This gives me a bad feeling," replied Satoshi.

"Let's just punch it and go," spoke Seigai, as he prepared to upload his virus program into the computer. After his upload was finished, he prepared to set his program to start.

"Alright, last part," spoke Seigai. Just as he set his program to start, the screen on his terminal went blank.

"Is that from you?" asked Satoshi, as he noted the same happened on all of the other terminals.

"It shouldn't be. None of my programs have ever worked this quickly," replied Seigai. As he spoke, text appeared on the screen.

"We have you now," read Satoshi and Seigai at the same time. The alarms going off were their only reply before a group of five guards charged into the room, each threw out a pokeball.

"Time to go," spoke Seigai. Satoshi nodded. When the pair attempted to leave, they found they were bounced back into the room.

"You can't mean..." muttered Seigai.

"They've completed the teleport inhibitors!" shouted Satoshi, "It's a trap!"

The pair were surrounded by two umbreon, an absol, a houndoom, and a weavile. Each were charging dark-type energy.

"Brace yourself!" shouted Seigai.

"Dark pulse!" shouted all of the guards.

Seigai and Satoshi screamed out as the wave of dark-type energy smashed into them. The two fell to their knees, barely able to keep themselves together.

"That didn't tickle..." muttered Seigai.

"Surrender here or die. Those are your only options," spoke the leader of the group of guards.

"Geez, no Shin? Thought he would delight in something like this," replied Seigai, as he got back on his feet.

"Commander Harai is currently away. We're more than enough to handle the two of you," replied the guard.

"Charming... under normal pretense, I would say you were right," replied Seigai.

"Time to put _that_ training to the test?" asked Satoshi.

"Now or never," replied Seigai, as each took the stance of fighting-types and picked their targets.

Seigai leapt at one of the umbreon with a jump kick. The surprised pokemon was sent flying into the wall behind it. Satoshi ran up to the houndoom and hit it with a karate chop, knocking it into the weavile.

"What the!" shouted one of the guards. None of them had known a gardevoir to use fighting-type moves. A couple took notice of the bulkier limbs the pair had in comparison to other gardevoir.

While the guards were still confused, Satoshi hit the weavile with a focus punch, knocking it out instantly as it went flying into the guard commanding it. Seigai hit the other umbreon with a cross chop.

"Faint attack!" shouted the guards controlling the umbreon. The pair charged at Seigai, knocking him into a computer console and smashing it in a shower of sparks.

"Fire blast!" shouted the guard controlling the houndoom.

Satoshi rolled out of the way of the fire blast, only to end up in front of the mightyena.

"Sucker punch!" shouted the guard controlling the mightyena. Satoshi was sent flying into a group of computer consoles, resulting in his being covered in a shower of sparks.

Seigai recovered and used a hi jump kick on the first umbreon he saw, knocking it out, leaving him with only one target. The other umbreon charged at him with another faint attack, and sent Seigai into a wall. Seigai was better able to take the hit, rebounded himself off of the wall, and finished off the umbreon with a low kick.

Satoshi recovered and hit the mightyena with a mach punch before running up to the houndoom, weaving around another fire blast, and engaging it with close combat. Satoshi unleashed a fast barrage of punches followed up by kicks, knocking out the houndoom and sending it crashing into one of the lab machines, resulting in the machine shorting out and exploding. The mightyena charged Satoshi with a faint attack, but was caught off guard by the explosion. Satoshi used the small opening to finish off the mightyena with a low kick.

Seigai and Satoshi regrouped in the middle of the room, staring at the guards.

"Don't tell me you only brought one pokemon each?" spoke Seigai.

"Curse you!" shouted the leader of the guards, as he tried to make his escape. Satoshi and Seigai halted the guards with psychic, and carried them over the middle of the room.

"Anyone want to shut off the inhibitors for us?" asked Seigai.

"Not a chance!" shouted one of the guards. All appeared to follow the lead guards resolution.

"Too bad," spoke Satoshi.

Seigai and Satoshi slammed the guards into one another, knocking them each unconscious.

"Guess we do this the fun way," spoke Satoshi, as he and Seigai prepared a thunderbolt. The pair sent out a burst of lightning in all directions, shorting out all the equipment in the room, bathing the pair in sparks from the smashed equipment.

"Did you feel that?" asked Seigai.

"Yeah. That feeling of having a weight on our shoulders is gone. Guess this means we got the inhibitors," replied Satoshi.

"Let's go," replied Seigai, as he and Satoshi disappeared.

Shin arrived at the Union Corporation building a few hours later. He was summoned there by the alarm system, and went to see what was going on, hoping to have a pair of gardevoir to torture. When he arrived, he found the lab a disaster and his guards knocked out.

"I see... even when I make it this easy for you, you still manage to fail. I went through the trouble of giving you each one of the pokemon I raised myself, and yet you still managed to fail," spoke Shin, as he looked over everything. He walked up to the nearest guard, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. He slammed the guard into the wall with enough force to wake him.

"Explain. Make it good," spoke Shin.

"They... they came again," replied the guard.

"Tell me something I can't deduce on my own!" shouted Shin, as he grabbed hold of the guard's throat.

"There was something different about them this time!" shouted the guard.

"What was different?" asked Shin.

"They were able to use fighting-type moves effectively. They even looked bulkier than normal gardevoir!" shouted the guard.

"Are you sure you did not confuse gardevoir for gallade?" asked Shin.

"Positive. The dresses and hair were a dead giveaway. It was the same two as before, the one with the black hair and the one with the shorter hair on the right!" shouted the guard.

"So they decided to exploit one of the weaknesses of the dark-type. Clever. I would have done the same," muttered Shin, after letting the guard drop to the floor.

"Well, that explains why my trap failed. Tell me, were you able to get a few hits in, at least?" asked Shin.

"We hit them first," replied the guard. 

"Good, good, so they were caught off guard. Well, they know about the inhibitors, so I suppose we won't be able to surprise them like that again. I just need better numbers. Yes, better numbers should take care of it," replied Shin.

"They looked like they were worn down," spoke the guard.

"Oh, were they? Well, I suppose that does tell me a little. Still, the more the better. I don't want to fall short. Hmm... better make sure I have my strongest here. Such a shame I was off elsewhere. If I was here, they would have never stood a chance," spoke Shin.

"What do you want us to do?" asked the guard.

"Hm? Oh, yes, yes, I do need you to do something. Bring a clean up crew down here," spoke Shin.

The guard nodded and complied. As he was talking with the maintenance personnel, he could hear violent screaming coming from behind him, coupled with violent screeches and howls. The guard turned around after his conversation in time to see an umbreon being crushed against the wall beside him by a steelix. The umbreon coughed up blood from the force of the blow. The steelix finished it off by tearing out the flesh of its stomach with it's teeth. The blood-stained pokemon turned to stare at the guard.

"Commander, what is going on!" shouted the frightened guard.

"As I told you before, I have a zero tolerance policy for failure. This includes pokemon," replied Shin.

"Even your own!" shouted the guard, as he backed away in fear.

"Oh, I'm even more strict with my own," spoke Shin, "Now then, take care of that last one for me, would you Steelix?"

The guard knew his fate before the command was given, and quickly tried to think himself out of the situation. As he was sliding across the wall, he noticed there was a fire hose on the other side of the door. He knew he had only one chance to get to it. The steelix barred it teeth and charged at the guard. The guard rolled out of the way, past the door, and over to the hose. Shin was surprised the guard didn't try to roll out of the lab. He was surprised further when he saw what his subordinate was doing. The guard pulled up the hose, pointed it at the steelix, and turned it on full, bracing himself against the wall to withstand the force of the hose. The steelix let out a roar as it was hit hard from the water spraying out of the hose. The water spraying out was like being hit by a water-type attack, exploiting the beasts weakness as a partial ground-type, and forcing it back. The guard continued hitting the steelix until it was knocked out, resulting in a large thud. The guard turned off the hose, preparing to drop it and run. Before he could run out the door, he was stopped by the sound of clapping.

"Huh?" spoke the guard.

"Very good, very good. You're the first one to even try to fight back, much less win. My my, now what will I do with you?" asked Shin.

The guard didn't want to know as he made his way for the nearby door. Before he was clear of the lab, Shin had him wrapped up in a whip.

"Now, now, no need to rush on out like that. I'm sure you'd like to know what I plan on doing with you," spoke Shin.

The guard struggled to break free, but found he was unable. Shin smiled as he recalled his steelix, apparently having figured out what he intended to do with the guard. He pulled the struggling guard out of the lab and took him to the reactor room. The large, metal door slid open as Shin entered the appropriate code after sliding his card. They pair were greeted by a large computer console covering the lower half of a three story wall. The rest of the room had smaller consoles embedded within the wall, spaced out evenly. The open space of the room was large enough to hold four military tanks. Shin approached the wall in front of them. On the far right side of the wall was what appeared to be a hatch.

"Normally, this hatch is for maintenance. It opens up into reactor and it just large enough for one person to traverse. There are several doors in place here, just to make sure there's enough protection from the radiation. We could have done this with three, but Kenji insisted on seven. Fine by me, really, makes this next part more interesting," spoke Shin, as he opened up the first door. He placed the pokeball holding his steelix on the floor and closed the door. Shin walked over to part of the main console and activated a screen showing the chamber he placed the pokeball in. Shin entered in a few codes and commands, resulting in a loud thud coming from the hatch beside them. The next hatch opened, while a small pusher on a rail guided the pokeball forward. As the pokeball passed one door, the next would open in sequence, while the door behind it would close.

"My own addition. You see, not all... failures... can be disposed of easily. For some, this is the only practical way," spoke Shin, as the pokeball continued to move forward into the reactor. The heat and radiation destroyed the ball, forcing the steelix to be released. Though it couldn't be heard through the thick doors, it was obvious from the pained expression on its face it was roaring loudly before the heat and radiation melted the beast, setting the remains on fire, before they disintegrated into nothing.

"And that takes care of that," spoke Shin, "Now then, for you..."

The guard became nervous, suspecting he was going to be thrown into the reactor next. He was surprised when Shin simply undid the whip restraining him.

"You get to live another day," spoke Shin, "as a reward for beating my steelix. However, should you fail again, this will be your fate." Shin pointed at the screen, showing the guard what he had meant. The guard shook at the thought.

"Yuki, don't fail me again," spoke Shin, as he left the room.

Yuki stood still as Shin left. He stared at the screen which had been showing the death of Shin's steelix moments before. He saw the scene play out in his head again, along with the death of his comrades and the pokemon they were using in the lab. Still shaking, Yuki made his way for the nearest bathroom, where he threw up everything he had eaten over the course of the day.

Seigai and Satoshi held off on their raids for a while, not wanting to fall into another trap like they had before. Seigai knew they were at the end of what they could accomplish for the time being and continued to focus on training. Seigai continued to keep an eye on Aomine and Ryoku, watching their progress as they trained together, making careful Aomine did not do anything to his daughter he did not wish for.

It was now eighteen years since Seigai had left his children. He was glad that they were all getting stronger, though Seigai was beginning to believe that none of them had inherited the ability to use psyblast at full strength. Nonetheless, Seigai continued to keep an eye on them between his training, hoping to see something indicating they would be able to use it. He knew it took him a while to use it the first time, and hoped it was just taking the others a while to awaken it for themselves. Seigai was following behind Aomine and Ryoku as they were training in the woods. He noticed they were relatively far in. The pair were no where near as far in as Seigai's house, but that was not Seigai's concern. He was worried the pokemon this far into the forest may be too strong for the pair to handle. Seigai kept an eye on them throughout the day, ready to step in if he felt it necessary. The pair had made it through the day without difficulty, relieving Seigai, and prompting him to leave. Before he could depart, he saw a group of noctowl surround the pair.

"Not good..." muttered Seigai, as he saw the fight unfold.

The noctowl squawked about striking both Aomine and Ryoku repeatedly. It seemed as though the pair was about to be knocked out. Seigai was about to intrude when he felt a familiar power.

"What is that... did Ryoku?" asked Seigai, as he looked at his daughter. He could feel the power of a psyblast starting. He saw his daughter glow a bright white. However, instead of using the technique, she evolved into a kirlia. Unlike a normal evolution, where the pokemon would still be injured, Ryoku was in perfect condition.

"She used it to force an evolution?" asked Seigai, as he watched his daughter take down the noctowl one after the other. Seigai continued to observe, making sure they were no more noctowl threatening the pair. Seigai saw Ryoku jump up and give Aomine a hug. Before Seigai's father instincts could make him run over and pull the pair apart, Ryoku had used teleport to take Aomine and herself elsewhere.

"Where did they go... oh, their house. Well, that's fine. They won't do anything distasteful under the eyes of Muzo and Mizuho," muttered Seigai, as he himself returned to his home.

Seigai continued to observe the pair for the next couple of years. In that time, Seigai and Satoshi continued to monitor the actions of the Union Corporation, but made no attempts to strike at them. They opted to wait until they were closer to completing their hybrid weapon, hoping to be strong enough to overcome any obstacles thrown their way.

One day, Seigai heard information that struck fear into him. He had heard the Union Corporation had gained a military sponsor, meaning it was only a matter of time before their weapon was complete. Seigai knew his time was up and prepared one more assault with the aid of Satoshi.

"This is it, huh?" asked Satoshi.

"Yeah. There's no more time. We have to find a way to deliver a finishing blow to them. We can't leave anything to chance," spoke Seigai.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Satoshi.

"I think our best bet is to destroy the building, leaving nothing behind," replied Seigai.

"And how do you plan to do that?" asked Satoshi.

"The reactor. If we can rig that reactor to go out, it should take out most of the basement levels. It's far enough down, so it shouldn't cause too much damage to the surrounding area. The Union Building has a lot of open space around it, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Without a foundation to stand on, the building will collapse on itself. If that doesn't put an end to everything, I don't know what will," explained Seigai.

"Fair enough, but how are we going to destroy their reactor. We don't have the codes to get in there, and we can't teleport around the walls while they have the inhibitors working," spoke Satoshi.

"I know. We'll have to capture one of the guards and use their codes. It's the only way. We have to do this. I didn't want to have to cause this level of destruction, but it seems we're out of alternatives. We'll have to get all the information we can about their servers before we destroy everything. We'll have to make sure we take out everything that holds their information, even if it's a public terminal. Nothing can survive," spoke Seigai.

"Alright then. We shouldn't have a problem rounding up a guard. We can just read their minds for the codes. If we're lucky, we might be able to get the information out of them," replied Satoshi.

"I'm hoping. We'll have to be quick; from what I've gathered, they've stepped up security, since they are this close to the end of their project. Guess our not attacking for a few years didn't quite put them as off guard as I would have hoped," spoke Seigai.

"Doesn't matter, we'll find a way, somehow. We always do," replied Satoshi.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" asked Kasumi.

"I really want you to, but it's too risky. There has to be at least one of us out here, just in case something happens," replied Seigai.

"I know, just make sure you don't end up needing me to bail you out of something," spoke Kasumi.

"I just see this as another challenge. We'll overcome," replied Satoshi, as he gave his wife a small hug.

"It's almost three. Time for the fun to begin," spoke Seigai, as he stood at ready.

"We'll be back before you miss us," spoke Satoshi, after giving his wife a quick kiss.

"Good luck," replied Kasumi.

The pair of Seigai and Satoshi gave each other a quick nod before disappearing, each wondering if they would even be able to make it in this time.

They're answer came in the form of loud sirens going off upon their entry to the lab.

"You've got to be kidding me," spoke Seigai.

"They can detect when we teleport in now!" shouted Satoshi.

Five guards came rushing into the lab, each throwing a pokeball. Seigai and Satoshi could feel the presence of the inhibitors, and didn't even waste energy on trying to teleport out. Two mightyena, two houndoom, and an umbreon emerged from the pokeballs, already preparing a dark pulse.

"You know, it sure would be nice if they would try something else for once," spoke Seigai as both he and Satoshi picked a target and used a quick attack. Seigai hit one of the mightyena, while Satoshi hit one of the umbreon. The two pokemon were caught off guard and lost their focus, preventing them from executing their attacks. Seigai and Satoshi picked their next targets and rushed through, readying themselves to take a hit from a dark pulse. Just as predicted, the other three pokemon let out their attacks. While Seigai and Satoshi felt a good deal of pain from the attacks, they weren't knocked back. With only three using the attack, as well as their increased strength from years of training, they were able to use their willpower to keep going. Both used a drain punch on their next targets, recovering some strength from their targets. Seigai hit the houndoom, while Satoshi hit the other mightyena. The other umbreon used a faint attack against Seigai, knocking him back. Satoshi came up from behind the pokemon and hit it with a high jump kick, slamming it back into the wall. The houndoom recovered and unleashed a flamethrower in the direction of Seigai and Satoshi. Each dodged the attack to the side and double teamed the pokemon, both hitting it with a cross chop. The houndoom was knocked out from the hit, leaving them with only four pokemon left. Seigai and Satoshi split off again, hitting with another quick attack, Seigai taking a mightyena and Satoshi finishing off the umbreon that had hit the wall. Satoshi rolled out of the way of the other mightyena, and hit it with a brick break, knocking it out. Seigai finished off his mightyena with a triple kick, then finished off the other umbreon with a force palm. The pair of Seigai and Satoshi regrouped in the middle of the room.

"That was fun for round one. Do we get a round two this time?" asked Seigai.

"Seigai, do you feel that?" asked Satoshi.

"Feel what... wait... shoot!" shouted Seigai.

While the pair had been busy with the other pokemon, six absol entered the room, each charging a dark pulse, while waiting for the other pokemon to be defeated. They unleashed their attacks at once, resulting in Seigai and Satoshi screaming out upon being hit. The pair were knocked down as a result. The absol wasted no time in rushing the pair, each using a faint attack, causing further injury to the pair. Seigai and Satoshi tried to hit a target with quick attack, but where slammed back down by another absol.

"_These guys were trained to work together. This isn't good,"_ spoke Seigai through telepathy.

"_Got any ideas?"_ asked Satoshi.

"_One. Keep close,"_ replied Seigai, as his eyes started to glow white.

Satoshi was quick to figure out what it was Seigai was up to.

"_Are you sure? They're dark-types, they have full resistance to psychic-type attacks,"_ spoke Satoshi.

"_If one of you used psyblast, I would think that. I think a full powered one from me will still do something,"_ replied Seigai.

Seigai continued to charge his psyblast until his entire body began to glow. The absol and the guards controlling them were caught off guard by what they were seeing. It looked as though Seigai was evolving, which further confused those watching. Satoshi was the only one who had an idea of what was going on, and readied himself, knowing he had to slay close enough to be out of the influence of the attack. Once Seigai's entire form was covered in white light, he unleashed his psyblast with a shout. A wave of psychic energy erupted from Seigai, destroying everything it hit. All six absol were slammed violently into the wall, along with debris from exploding computer consoles and lab equipment. The guards were also thrown into the wall. More explosions signaled the destruction of the teleport inhibitors and cameras in the room. Satoshi ducked down, having a hard time seeing in the wave of destruction and light spreading throughout the room.

After a few minutes, the smoke cleared out enough for Satoshi to see again. Seigai fell to his knees, clearly exhausted from using a full-powered psyblast. Satoshi looked around to see all of the guards were out, along with the absol. Satoshi breathed a sigh of relief until he saw one of the absol stand on its feet. The pokemon had scratches all over its body from where bits of debris hit it. There was a small bit of blood dribbling from the beast's mouth, but that didn't seem to stop it. It took several steps forward, appearing at ready to strike. Satoshi prepared to use a quick attack, but stopped once the absol collapsed. There was no sign that the other absol had made it through the attack.

"Did it work?" asked Seigai.

"It worked. We better head upstairs. We can get the information we need from another computer, then we can come back here once things have settled a little bit. I doubt they'll be looking for us up there, so we should have some time to recover," replied Satoshi.

"Sounds like a good idea," spoke Seigai.

Satoshi attempted to teleport to the higher levels, but found he was unable to.

"Huh..." muttered Satoshi.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Seigai.

"The inhibitors are still up. I guess you didn't get them all," spoke Satoshi, as he unleashed a thunderbolt, covering all that remained undamaged in the room. Sparks rained down from the destruction of what was left of the cameras and inhibitors.

"Okay, that should do it," spoke Satoshi as he tried to teleport again, still without success.

"Are you out of energy?" asked Seigai.

"I'm a little worn, but I have more than enough energy to teleport us... there's no way I missed an inhibitor after that," replied Satoshi.

"Maybe we should just walk?" asked Seigai.

"Not so fast!" shouted another guard, as he entered the room, followed by five more. Each sent out another pokemon. Two houndoom, three weavile, and an umbreon greeted the pair.

"Seigai, have any fight left in you?" asked Satoshi.

"A little," spoke Seigai, as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Surrender," spoke the lead guard.

"Follow my lead," spoke Seigai.

Satoshi took note of what Seigai was preparing and followed suit. It was out of desperation, but it was all they had left. The pair quickly charged electricity and let out a combined thunderbolt throughout the room, slamming into the six pokemon that stood before them. Seigai and Satoshi kept it up for as long as they could before they were forced to stop. Seigai once again fell to his knees, having more than overexerted himself. The six pokemon before them were stunned from the hit. It appeared as though each of them had been paralyzed from their last attack.

"Lucky shot," spoke Satoshi.

The lead guard only smiled, sending a shiver down Satoshi's spine. He didn't like the feeling he was getting.

"You know how absol are said to be harbingers of disaster, right?" asked Satoshi.

"Yeah... we're dead, aren't we?" asked Seigai.

"Looks like it," replied Satoshi, readying himself for what was about to come. He realized that even a paralyzed pokemon could use a move that didn't require movement, and dark pulse required no movement at all. The wave of dark-type energy slammed into Seigai and Satoshi. Seigai was knocked out instantly. Satoshi fell, but tried to get himself back up.

"Can't... fall... here..." muttered Satoshi as he fell unconscious. The guards smiled as they recalled their pokemon.

"Take those two to the detention cells above. The commander wants to take care of these two personally," spoke the lead guard. The others complied, gathering up the pair and taking them to the prisons kept above them.

Seigai and Satoshi didn't know how long they were out, only that they were in trouble when they saw bars in front of them.

"Uh... Seigai?" asked Satoshi.

"Yeah?" asked Seigai.

"I think we're in trouble," replied Satoshi.

The pair noted that they were both bound, and that they had some kind of device on their heads. The devices gave them a mild headache, and apparently wouldn't allow them to use any of their psychic abilities. Combined with the shackles, the pair knew that they weren't going to be getting anywhere for the time being.

"How long do you think it'll take Kasumi to realize that something has gone wrong?" asked Seigai.

"I can't say. We have a deep bond with one another. I'm sure she already knows, but I'm not sure what she's going to be able to do to get us out of here. I don't think these were here before," spoke Satoshi.

"I'm pretty sure they weren't. This was an office building, there would be no need for something like this to be here. If it weren't for that polished metal corridor in front of us, I would think we were in a different place," replied Seigai.

"Sure is clean for a jail," replied Satoshi.

"Don't think this has been here long enough to become a mess," replied Seigai.

"It's going to be a mess soon enough. Have a way for us to get out of this one?" asked Satoshi.

"Not really. I didn't think they would have a device like this to even keep use from using our psychic abilities. There has to be something..." muttered Seigai, as his eyes started to glow blue. Before he could do anything, his eyes returned to normal, followed by Seigai letting out a quick scream of pain.

"Okay, so that didn't work," replied Seigai.

"Do you think a psyblast would do it?" asked Satoshi.

"Might, but it'll take a few hours before I could attempt it again. Really, I should wait twenty-four hours before attempting to perform another one, but a little exhaustion is better than being stuck here.

"I just hope we have a few hours," replied Satoshi.

It was now six in the morning. Guards had been set around the clock to keep an eye on Satoshi and Seigai. The guards could tell Seigai attempted to use his abilities. They were nervous until they saw the new devices had managed to hold up well to the abuse they were given.

"Looks like we finally have them," spoke one of the guards.

"About time. Dr. Den and Commander Harai were starting to become troublesome with regards to them. Maybe now we won't have to hear anymore about what's going to happen to us if we fail," replied the second guard. At that point, a third guard entered the room.

"Yuki?" asked one of other guards.

"It's my watch, now. You two can go and get some rest. You were part of the capture team, right?" asked Yuki.

"We were," replied one of the guards.

"Then you deserve some rest. Try to get some sleep, I'll send out an alert if those two manage to escape," replied Yuki.

"Very well," replied one of the guards.

"What are we do if they are successful in their escape?" asked the other guard.

"I'll gas them. That should at least weaken them, making it more than easy enough to recapture them. We'll just keep them gassed if they are able to break the restraints. Now then, go get some rest," spoke Yuki.

The pair of guards nodded as they left the room. Yuki took their place, keeping a careful eye on the screen in front of him.

"So, they finally managed to get a hold of you, did they?" spoke Yuki, as he continued to look at the screen. As Yuki was watching, the screen suddenly went blank. Yuki stared at it, puzzled for a moment. He hit some keys on the computer in front of them, but they didn't seem to do anything. A few moments later, another guard came in.

"You're late," spoke Yuki.

"I'm not late, you were early," replied the second guard.

"Not by my watch. Anyway, you're just in time. There seems to be a problem with the cameras. I'll go see what the problem is, you stay here and keep an eye on the screen. If something happens, you know what to do," spoke Yuki, as he made his way for the detention center.

The guard's room Yuki and the others were using was located on the same level as the detention center, just a little ways down the corridor. The room itself was behind a door made to look like the rest of wall, making it so anyone escaping wouldn't notice the room, and could be caught off guard. Yuki made his way into the detention center, noting nothing appeared to be amiss. There were two guards keeping an eye on Satoshi and Seigai.

"Have the prisoners made any attempts at escape?" asked Yuki.

"They have not, as far as we can tell. They've attempted to use their abilities a couple times, but the restraints are holding," replied one of the guards.

"I see. I'm here because the cameras are out. Do you have an idea for why that may be?" asked Yuki.

"There should be nothing wrong with them," spoke the other guard.

"I see. I think I have an idea of what the problem may be," spoke Yuki, as he walked up to the pair of guards.

"What is it?" asked one of the guards.

"Someone may be trying to help them escape," replied Yuki.

"Who would do that? The commander would kill the person if he found out!" shouted one of the guards.

"And then he would kill us for letting it happen!" shouted the other.

"Guess you better find out who's responsible. I have an idea of who," spoke Yuki.

"Who?" asked one of the guards.

Yuki said nothing as he quickly pulled out a pair of stun guns and hit both of the guards with them before they could react.

"Me," replied Yuki, as he knocked the guards out. Yuki went up to the controls for the doors on the cells and opened the door holding Seigai and Satoshi. The pair backed away from him, ready to try and fight him.

"Easy, I'm here to set you guys free," spoke Yuki, as he walked up to Seigai. Seigai attempted to kick him, but found it impossible to do so while still bound. Yuki did his best to take the restraints off of Seigai. Once the binding on his arms was removed, Seigai opted to remain still as he undid the other restraints. After his legs were unbound, Yuki removed the psychic restraints on his head. Yuki did the same for Satoshi.

"That's better," spoke Seigai.

"What are those things?" asked Satoshi.

"Psychic restraints, made in the same way as the teleport inhibitors," replied Yuki.

"Complete with the DNA of a dark-type, right? Explains the headache," muttered Seigai.

"Why are you helping us?" asked Satoshi.

"Something is off about this place. After I saw Commander Harai brutally kill his own pokemon for failing, along with my fellow guards, something clicked for me," replied Yuki.

"Wait, I recognize you; you were one of the guards who attacked us the last time we were here," spoke Seigai.

"You're right, I was. I was allowed to live, because I was able to stop his steelix from killing me with a little quick thinking. He seemed amused by it, so he let me live," replied Yuki.

"Aren't you endangering yourself by setting us free like this?" asked Seigai.

"Perhaps. I have it set so that it will look like you were able to escape on your own," spoke Yuki.

"Well, thank you all the same. What's your name if I may ask?" asked Satoshi.

"Moto Yuki. Yours?" asked Yuki.

"Satoshi," replied Satoshi.

"I'd rather not say my real name... so... call me Jin," replied Seigai.

"Fair enough Jin, Satoshi," replied Yuki, "So why have you been attacking us?"

Seigai and Satoshi gave a quick explanation of the weapon Dr. Den was working on as well as the murders that had taken place as a result. The two explained they had intended to destroy everything when they arrived earlier on in the night.

"I see, so that's why. I heard about Dr. Urufu's wife and what had been done to him. It's no surprise he would want to try and stop them. It is as you have heard, Commander Harai and Dr. Den were able to get us support from the Ishiba military. They've lent us their resources in exchange for being the first to use the research to turn their men into hybrids. These restraints were made possible by them. They also helped us enhance the range of the teleport inhibitors, as well as giving us access to several of their bases," explained Yuki.

"That explains why we still couldn't leave, even after destroying the inhibitors guarding the lab," spoke Satoshi.

"But to think they have this kind of backing from the military... even if we took out this place, it wouldn't do any good," spoke Seigai.

"Not yet, anyway. If you promise to help keep me from danger, I'm willing to get information for you," replied Yuki.

"What kind of information?" asked Seigai.

"The location of all their bases and data centers, even those not listed within our databases. You would need that information to put an end to everything, right?" asked Yuki.

"We would. What kind of protection do you need. We can't do too much for you," replied Seigai.

"You don't need to. You need only teleport me out of here, should something happen," spoke Yuki, as he pulled out a small device.

"This is a communicator we received from the military. They're prototypes for mobile satellite phones, just a little bigger than a cellular phone," replied Yuki, as he handed the device to Seigai. It looked like a black box a couple of inches wide and eight inches long. It had a sliding panel, revealing a screen and number pad.

"If I'm in trouble, I'll signal you by making this ring once. If it rings more than once, then I wish to tell you something," explained Yuki.

"What do you think?" asked Satoshi.

"Sounds fair to me, but how do you know this isn't some kind of trap? You could ask us to come and save you, then trap us here with the inhibitors," replied Seigai.

"Well... I have no way to prove my intentions," spoke Yuki.

"There is one way. Open your mind to us, let us read your thoughts," spoke Satoshi.

"This is the only way we can gain the ability to trust you," spoke Seigai.

"Alright," replied Yuki, as he allowed the pair to place their palms on his head and peer into his thoughts. The pair experienced what Yuki did after he failed the capture the pair during their previous raid, including the brutal deaths of the pokemon and guards. The pair were stunned as they backed away from Yuki as a result of what they had seen.

"He really does enjoy brutalizing those he disagrees with," spoke Satoshi.

"I knew there was a reason why I felt uncomfortable around him when I first met him. Alright, we believe you," spoke Seigai.

"Alright. I'll have a map of the military bases for you soon. That's the first thing I can get for you. I'll keep you updated on the status of their research," replied Yuki.

"Do you know these things right now?" asked Satoshi.

"I do, why? I doubt telling you would be of much help," replied Yuki.

"Just bring this information to the top of your mind, and we'll take care of the rest. It's much more efficient to communicate information telepathically," spoke Satoshi.

"I see. Okay, I'm ready," replied Yuki.

Seigai and Satoshi once again read into Yuki's mind, learning everything Yuki knew about the current status in the development of the weapon, locations of the military bases, and what each were being used for.

"I see. They aren't as far along as they made it seem," spoke Seigai.

"They made it seem like they were further along in order to lure you two here," replied Yuki.

"And it worked perfectly," spoke Satoshi.

"Now you know. This building isn't really your first target. They stopped working in here a while ago, using the bases for their better security. It would be best to assault those bases first," replied Yuki.

"We noticed. They also have these inhibitors... that's going to make things difficult," spoke Seigai.

"There's no weak points in the devices, as far as I know, and taking out a few won't open up a hole for you. You'd have to find a way to take out most of them before you would be able to escape a place," replied Yuki.

"We'll find a way to deal with that when it happens. What about leaving here?" asked Seigai.

"There are inhibitors on all levels of this building. They were set up to follow the old pattern of needing inhibitors for every room. This building will be the most difficult for you to deal with. I can deactivate for you this time, but you're on your own after that. The only way I can think of to take them out is to shut down the reactor. Since there are so many of them, the reactor is the only power source capable of running all of them," replied Yuki.

"Good to know for the next time we come here," spoke Satoshi.

"I have one request of you before I deactivate the inhibitors," spoke Yuki.

Seigai and Satoshi nodded in response.

"After I deactivate them, destroy everything in this room; make it look like you fought your way out, and take these two with you. Just take them somewhere safe. I don't want them to have to deal with Commander Harai. Their failure here really is my fault," spoke Yuki.

"We can do this for you," replied Satoshi.

"These guards are only doing what they've been paid to do; they don't have bad intentions on their own. They shouldn't be killed over something they don't know about," replied Seigai.

"Thank you," spoke Yuki, as he walked over to computer access terminal. He typed in several commands before turning around.

"It's done. You can leave here at anytime," spoke Yuki.

"Alright. You better stand back," spoke Satoshi, as he charged up the strongest thunderbolt he could muster. Yuki made his way out of the room before Satoshi unleashed his attack, destroying all of the equipment in the room, showering the pair with sparks from blown out terminals. Their attack set off the alarms.

"Time to go," spoke Seigai, as he touched one of the guards. Satoshi nodded as he placed his hand on one of the guards. The pair left immediately, dropped off the guards in a random place within the city, then returned to their home.

Upon seeing her husband and Seigai return, Kasumi ran at the pair with a tear stained face, holding onto the pair tightly.

"Easy, dear, we're alright," spoke Satoshi, as he gently rubbed his wife's back.

"I thought something happened to you! You've never taken this long before! I didn't know what to do! I wanted to go save you, but I didn't know what to do! I wanted to just charge in their after you!" shouted Kasumi.

"How long have we been gone?" asked Seigai, before seeing the clock. It was almost nine in the morning; the pair had been gone for about six hours.

"We're here now, so don't you worry. We always come back," spoke Satoshi. His calm voice was able to help Kasumi relax.

Seigai and Satoshi explained to Kasumi what had taken place during the night. She was shocked to hear they were captured, but grateful for Yuki coming to save them from their fate. At the end of their tale, she looked as though she was about to tell them to never go on another raid, but knew they had to continue, and kept her opinion to herself.

"What are we going to do next?" asked Kasumi.

"Next? Next, we need to get some help. I have an idea of where we can go, too," replied Seigai.

"Where would that be?" asked Satoshi.

"You'll see. I think we should get some rest. We've all had a long night," replied Seigai.

Seigai, Satoshi, and Kasumi spent the next couple of days off from their training. Satoshi suggested they wait a few days to make sure Seigai fully recovered from using the full force psyblast, to which Seigai reluctantly agreed. Since Seigai couldn't really train, he told Kasumi and Satoshi he would be heading out. He donned his human disguise and took his leave of the house.

Seigai made his way through the forest, with no particular destination in mind. As he neared the edge of the forest, he saw a woman training her onix. Seigai watched for a moment before a thought occurred to him, prompting him to approach the pair. The onix let out a roar, grabbing the attention of its trainer.

"Oh, you startled me," spoke the woman.

"Sorry about that. Don't really see onix too often in this area, so I thought I would watch," replied Seigai, while thinking of a way to accomplish his plan.

"Are you a trainer?" asked the woman, sounding like she was itching for a pokemon battle.

"Me? No. Training isn't really my thing, though I don't mind watching pokemon battles from time to time," replied Seigai.

"Oh, I see," replied the woman, sounding a little disappointed.

"I know about a trainer who comes out into this forest all the time, though. I see him practicing all the time," spoke Seigai.

"Is this guy strong?" asked the woman.

"Oh, fairly strong, actually. He has a powerful psychic-type with him. Quite the tough little cookie. Even though she's small, when she and her trainer were ambushed by a group of noctowl, she was able to take care of all of them singlehandedly," replied Seigai.

"That is interesting. I've seen the pokemon of this forest. They are rather strong deep within. I wouldn't mind seeing this trainer for myself," replied the woman.

"Want to challenge them to a battle?" asked Seigai.

"If they're strong enough," replied the woman.

"Oh, they're strong enough," replied Seigai, "Follow me."

"Alright, but if you're thinking of trying to pull something, my friend here will take you down before you can so much as attempt an apology," spoke the woman.

"Ouch. Don't worry, I have no such interests. I just want to see a good battle," replied Seigai, as he led the way.

Seigai led the woman through the forest to the place where Aomine and Ryoku would often train together. As luck would have it, the two were resting there, with Ryoku sitting on Aomine's lap. Seigai's father instincts made him want to charge in and yell at the pair, but Seigai knew it would be foolish to do so. He knew Aomine would never try to do anything to Ryoku after watching them together all this time.

"That's the guy, huh? Is that his pokemon? Looks kind of small..." muttered the woman, as she pulled out her pokedex.

"Kirlia, the emotion pokemon. The cheerful spirit of its trainer gives it energy for its psychokinetic power. It spins and dances when happy," came the voice of the pokedex. Seigai tried not to roll his eyes.

"A psychic that gets stronger when happy, eh?" asked the woman.

"I'm sure you've been in enough battles to know size does not matter, especially when it comes to psychic-types," spoke Seigai.

"True. Alright, you say they're powerful, I'll give it a go," replied the woman.

"You ever try surprising someone before?" asked Seigai.

"Surprising someone?" asked the woman.

"Yeah. Just send your pokemon in to get their attention, take them by surprise. You know, that kind of thing?" asked Seigai.

"Why would I do that?" asked the woman.

"For fun," replied Seigai.

"That's not how trainers do battle," replied the woman, as she approached the pair.

"Wait! There's a reason why I want to surprise them like this!" shouted Seigai.

"What?" asked the woman.

"That boy there is... a close friend of my daughters. I want to see what he's got before I give him permission to date my daughter," replied Seigai, who wasn't quite lying as much as he was bending the truth.

"Is that why I'm out there? So you can test your daughter's boyfriend?" asked the woman.

"Pretty much," replied Seigai.

The woman appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before turning to face Seigai.

"Alright, I'll go along with this, but if we don't get a good battle out of this, I'm going to give you the throw down of a life time," replied the woman.

"Ouch, but okay. You'll get more than what you bargained for, believe me," spoke Seigai.

The woman asked her onix to bring its head down to her so she could tell it how she wanted it to battle. Upon understanding, the onix charged forward, causing the ground to shake.

"My my, your friend seems quite interested in battling," replied Seigai.

"We both enjoy great challenges. He's excited at the chance to fight a strong opponent," spoke the woman.

Seigai and the woman watched as the onix charged forward. The pair of Aomine and Ryoku were startled by the attack, but quickly put themselves together and started to attack. Seigai could see Ryoku hitting the onix with a couple of psychic attacks before apparently finishing it off with a psybeam.

"Huh, that was quick," spoke Seigai.

"So that little kirlia does have some fight, I'll give it that. The show's not over yet, though," spoke the woman with a large grin on her face. Seigai wondered what she meant when he saw the onix come back to life and hit Ryoku with a stone edge attack. Ryoku had a hard time recovering as the onix prepared to tackle the pair.

"You're really going to attack the kid!" shouted Seigai.

"You don't approve?" asked the woman.

"_She's going to kill me,"_ thought Seigai, knowing Ryoku wouldn't be amused once he told her what was going on. He was expecting to see both on the ground, but noticed the onix had apparently crashed into some kind of wall.

"A barrier? I didn't know she could do that," spoke Seigai.

"That is one tough cookie, to block my onix like that," replied the woman.

With the formation of Ryoku's barrier, Seigai could feel the familiar power coming from her, that of a psyblast.

"_So, it wasn't a fluke before. She really does have it,"_ thought Seigai, as he watched Ryoku evolve into a gardevoir. Ryoku hit the onix with psychic again, this time taking it down for good.

"Well, would you look at that. So, is that the kind of challenge you were looking for?" asked Seigai.

The woman was dumbfounded for a moment. She was sure she would have an easy victory after seeing how the battle had started. She wasn't quite sure how to take the loss.

"Well, while you ponder this, I'm going to go surprise the kids," spoke Seigai, as he walked over to the pair.

"Ah, not bad, not bad," spoke Seigai, making his voice sound darker than it normally was. He was quick to get the attention of Ryoku and Aomine.

"Who are you?" asked Aomine.

"Stay back, Ao," spoke Ryoku.

"Huh?" asked Aomine.

"There's something off about this guy... and... I can feel his strength... this guy is really strong for a human. Too strong," spoke Ryoku.

"What do you want?" asked Aomine.

"Ho? Come now? Don't be so apprehensive," replied Seigai.

"Why are you here?" asked Aomine.

"I just wanted to see how you two would do against that onix. I'm surprised you were able to defeat it. It looked like it was going to have the two of you for lunch, and yet that kirlia, well, now gardevoir, was somehow able to defeat it, despite being on the apex of defeat," replied Seigai.

"We just got lucky," spoke Ryoku, while moving to protect Aomine.

"Oh? Luck? No such thing in my world, kid. You either have talent or you don't. You have quite the hidden ability. A nice little power that always manifests itself right when it's needed. A shame you can't control it. That would make you quite the force to be reckoned with," replied the man.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you really want, but leave us alone," spoke Ryoku.

"Geez, so defensive. I'm not hear to hurt you. After all, why would I hurt my own daughter?" asked Seigai.

"Your daughter... father?" asked Ryoku.

Seigai coughed a few times, due to the voice he was using being rough on his throat.

"Uh, sorry. That dark voice is really hard to do," replied Seigai in his regular voice.

"Father!" shouted Ryoku, as she ran up and gave her father a hug.

"That guy is Mister Seigai?" asked Aomine, as he walked up to Seigai, and offered his hand.

"Ah, Aomine," spoke Seigai, as Ryoku allowed him the chance to shake the hand of Aomine.

"You've grown up. Last time I saw you, you were just a baby. And Ryoku, you were just a little ralts. Now you're a beautiful gardevoir. My, you look just like your mother," spoke Seigai.

"I'm glad to see you again, dad. I have to ask, though. What's with the odd clothing. It's a bit warm for the month of June," spoke Ryoku.

"I was wondering that myself," spoke Aomine.

"Ah, this. Well, I suppose I didn't want to freak you guys out, but I do agree, this outfit is most uncomfortable," spoke Seigai, as he removed his disguise.

"Oh, almost forgot the last part," spoke Seigai, as he took the makeup off of his face.

Ryoku and Aomine were shocked at Seigai's true appearance. The trainer Seigai was with had returned to her senses long enough to be dumbfounded once again at seeing what looked to her to be a rare, alternate colored pokemon.

Seigai explained the reason behind his change in appearance to his daughter and Aomine. The two were confused at first, but were able to accept it.

"It's going to take some getting used to," spoke Ryoku.

"Maybe," spoke Seigai.

"So, does this mean that you finally got rid of the bad people that were after you?" asked Ryoku.

"Not quite. They are still around, and quite active. I've done all I can on my own, and now I need help," spoke Seigai.

"Help?" asked Aomine.

"That's right. I need the two of you to help me in order to take these guys down for good," spoke Seigai.


End file.
